Unlucky
by True.Royal.Chaos
Summary: Dixons are unlucky. Always have been. Always will be. When the world ends the Dixons finds a group and have the intention of stealing their supplies until things go unlucky real fast. Now Daryl is forced to take care of Merle's and his own son, while also fighting his feelings for a certain silver-haired woman. (DarylxCarol, AmyxOC, future MaggiexOC, future SophiaxOC)
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure about this?" Elijah Dixon asks for the twentieth time in that hour. They have been watching this group all day. It isn't the first group they sought out to join and then steal their supplies, but the more they watch the more they realized how pathetic the group is.

"Eli's right, dad, this group are a bunch of pussy city losers." Dean says as he pushes his dark hair out of his blue eyes. "Doubt they'd have anything good."

"Yeah, all they seem to have are a handful of guns, barely any ammo, and very little food." Eli adds.

"Merle?" Daryl says as he leans against a tree, staring at his older brother. "What's the plan?"

"The plan's the same. We'll stay with this group for a week and then run off with their supplies." Daryl bites his thumbnail and looks at the camp.

"Kids right, they don't have much."

"They have enough." Daryl follows his eyes to see him eyeing over a blonde woman, mostly her tits.

"Merle." Daryl says in a warning, his eyes flicking to Dean.

"Come on." Merle says before gathering the meat they got while hunting and headed out of the woods. Eli sighs and looks up at Daryl.

"Are you sure about this, Dad? I mean, raiding a camp with supplies is one thing, but this group has kids and women." Eli is a lot like his father. He is tough around the edges, closed off, and quiet, but he has a good heart. Stealing from these people make him feel like he has ash in his mouth. It doesn't seem right to steal from them. The last camp they stole things from had been just a bunch of city licking boys, Eli didn't feel bad for that. In this world, the weak die and the strong survive, but this group isn't just city licking boys, it has kids and women who can't help that they aren't strong like the Dixons.

"Eli, we listen to your uncle and he says this is the plan." Daryl says, causing Eli to sigh.

"Okay, but promise if things get hairy that we split or we stay and forget the plan." Daryl looks at his son for a long moment. Eli and Daryl look a lot alike. They both were rugged and brawny, while Merle and Dean were more rugged and burly. Eli also has Daryl's chestnut hair and blueberry blue eyes. Merle and Dean had hair closer to black and eyes that are more navy. Eli's hair is short like Daryl's too, while Dean has his hair growing pretty long. His bangs sweep across his right eye, while his eye falls to the back of his neck, but his hair is thick, so it makes it look longer. Merle has his hair very short.

"Hey, Darylina, Elianna, you two coming?" Eli rolls his eyes as Daryl shoots a glare at his brother.

"Shut the fuck up." Daryl says as he catches up with Dean and Merle.

The four of them walk out of the woods and just as they predicted the men of the camps came running with guns aimed right at them. "Stay right where you are." This man is the leader or at least that's what Eli has deduced from watching the group all morning.

"No need for violence, we were just passing through." Merle says with his hands the air, the rabbits he shot still in the clutches of his fists. Eli sees the kids staring at the rabbits with hunger, which causes guilt to fill Eli.

"Have those kids eaten?" Eli asks, causing them to look at him. "They look like skin and bones." Merle shoots a look at Eli, but he ignores Merle. "We have plenty if you want." Eli motions to the rabbits in his uncle's hands. They did have plenty. They got this much in order to win over the camp. Merle was holding two rabbits in each hand, while Dean had a string of squirrel on his back and a raccoon in his left hand. Daryl had his own string of squirrel and so did Eli and they both have a rabbit each.

"We're just passing through." Dean speaks up. "Out hunting. The game's better up in the mountains, less walkers chewing on our kills. Your group looks like they've seen better days." The group watches the warrily as the kid spoke. Dean was only twenty three, while Eli was nineteen, but that didn't mean they were harmless. "We could work out a deal."

"What kind of deal." Dean almost smiled when the leader asked this. He knew his kind. Tried to be the big man, the leader, the tough guy, but they were running out of food and Dean and his family held the answer.

"The woods are stocked up in there. Plenty to kill seeing how there ain't no walkers up this way. We're thinking of sticking around to hunt, but we don't wanna cause any problems with your group. It seems you have it worked out pretty well up here. What do you say you allow us to stay with your group for a half our kill?" Merle shoots a look at his son the second he said half, but Dean shot a look right back. "Kids need something to eat. Won't survive much longer out here with no food." The leader looked over at the group before looking at the Dixons.

"How do we know you're not a threat?" The man asks.

"If we wanted to kill you we would have done it by now. You don't have many guns on ya, there's four of us and four of you with guns. It'd be real easy for us to kill ya with one shot from each of us, but we haven't done it and instead, we're trying to reach an agreement. So, what'd you say?" Dean asks, causing the group to look at each other and then the food that the Dixons had. Dean knew the answer. They all did. The group was starved and there was no way they'd say no to food.

"We have a deal."


	2. Chapter 2

It's been a week since the Dixons joined the camp. They had meant to only stay a week but after Dean and Eli's persistence, Merle settled for a few weeks in the camp. The leader, Shane, doesn't like them at all and finds them a dangerous group of white trashed redneck, but the Dixons never cared what people thought of them.

They have noticed that not everyone feels that way, however. The group is all too happy when the Dixons bring back meat for them, Daryl and Eli always make sure to bring a good amount back to the group.

Eli trudges out of the woods after yet another go at hunting. He has a string of squirrels on his back and a rabbit in his hands. The women are washing clothes at the creek when they hear Eli. They all turn and Eli freezes on the spot. Much like his father, Eli hated crowds. He hated people staring at him, hated them talking to him, hated them talking about them, he just hated them. Having this group staring at him right now made him want to make a break for it.

Lori Grimes, the leader's bitch, was glaring heavily at him as if he's a piece of dirt on a white carpet. The others, the blonde sisters, and the silver-haired woman were watching him more with curiosity than disgust. Since being here Eli has noticed a line being drawn. There is the group that doesn't trust the Dixons and finds them a disgusting bunch of apes and then there's the group that is thankful to them for bringing what they hunt to the group. That thankful group also are curious about them. Eli doesn't know which group he likes less. The dark-skinned woman, Jacqui, she normally sides with whatever group is bigger at the moment with her. Currently, there is three in the thankful group and one in the distrusting group, so Jacqui is siding with the thankful group.

Thankfully Eli gets some of the tension off him when his cousin comes crashing through the woods. "You little fucker." The girls watch as Dean Dixon comes out covered in mud and god knows what else. Eli turns and looks at Dean with a grin on his face. "You think this is funny? You're going to get it you, dick sucking bastard." Eli easily dodges Dean's swing, but he's not prepared for Dean charging him. Eli goes falling into the creek, dragging Dean in with him. Eli can hear laughter from the bank, but he ignores it as he dunks Dean's head under and starts swimming for the bank. Dean pushed him in pretty far, he can't even touch the bottom right now.

"You fucker." Eli goes falling under as Dean pulls his foot out from under him just as he touched the ground, causing Eli to fall head first into the water. Eli's throat burns from the water filling his lungs and his eyes sting from the creek. When he reaches the surface he's coughing up a lung full of water.

"You asshole." Eli coughs, causing Dean to grin.

"Should have closed your mouth." Eli shot a glare at his cousin, punching him right in the face.

"Bastard." The only time Eli isn't quite like his father, hiding in the background, is when he's around Dean. Most would believe Eli and Dean were brothers the way they fought, but that was just the way they were. They were their father's sons. It only makes sense for them to roughhouse.

"Are you okay?" Eli's head shot up to see a pair of baby blue eyes staring at him. He is on land now, dripping wet, and his clothes sticking to him like glue. The girl who had spoken was the younger blonde sister. Her eyes ran over Eli's body. Taking in, his jeans, that stuck to him and shaped his legs and groin, his shirt, which was like a second skin because it didn't hide anything, in fact, it should off his abs and biceps completely. She finally met his eyes again and he raised a dark eyebrow at her, causing pink to fill her cheeks.

"Fine." Eli says gruffly before getting slammed into by his cousin, causing him to go stumbling forward.

"Hey, sugar tits mini." Eli shot a look at Dean as he says that, grinning and eyeing Amy over. Amy's face grows hotter at Dean's eyes racking her form. A weird feeling stired in Eli's stomach as he watched Dean. His stomach feels as if it's in knots. He grunted and started up the hill, wanting away from whatever made him feel sick.

Dean catches up with Eli and glances back. "What's with you?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing." Dean grins. "You don't want me checking out your girl?"

"Fuck off, Dean." Eli growls. "I don't give no fuck about some city bitch."

"Sure that's why you look like you're going to puke just from me eyefucking her."

"Shut up." Eli pushes Dean away from him and heads for his tent where his dad and uncle were sitting. "Tell your sick bastard of a son to shut the fuck up." Eli snaps as he drops his kills at his father's feet and headed into his tent.

"What'd you do now?" Eli hears Merle ask Dean as Eli pulls his wet jeans off. Dean whistles as he comes into the tent to see Eli in only his wet boxers.

"Go the fuck away, faggot." Dean snickered and headed over to his area to get changed.

"You know, Eli, if you went to the creek like that the girl would be on you like a fly on shit." Eli rolls his eyes and pulls on a dry pair of boxers and jeans, buckling them up and heading out of the tent, shirt in hand.

"Tell your faggot of a son to stop staring at any living being including his cousin." Eli flops down beside his father gracelessly and pulls his t-shirt over his head. Merle snickered as Dean walks out.

"What you don't want this?" Dean thrusts his hips grunting, causing Eli to throw his boot at him.

"You sick fuck." Dean laughs and sits down beside his own father.

"You're just pissed because you're girl wants this." Eli's face burns red as he glares daggers at Dean.

"Shut the fuck up, Dean."

"What girl?" Daryl asks, causing Eli to groan.

"Oh, you're gonna wanna hear this, Uncle Daryl." Dean grins.


	3. Chapter 3

Amy's heart is pounding in her chest, her breath is stuck in her throat, and heat is pooling down between her legs. Eli isn't even naked, he's fully dressed, but Amy just wants to jump him. All her life she's been around pussy ass city boys. No nineteen years old looked like this. Eli was thin and lean, but he has muscles on him. He doesn't seem as burly as his cousin, but Amy doesn't care. All she wants is Eli to wrap those muscle arms around her, pulling her to his ripped chest. She has only ever seen actors look like this at his age. She had always thought it wasn't fair that all the ripped hotties were too famous for her, but right now she has her own ripped hotty standing right in front of her.

Her eyes rank over him like she was trying to take it all in. His legs were toned and long, his jeans sticking to his legs and shaping him. Her eyes move to his groin and her skips a beat. He still has jeans on, so it's hard to see him really, but with the way the jeans are sticking to him there tells Amy that he is a good size. Her eyes move over to his hands, calloused from years of working alongside his father. His arms, muscular from years of pulling back his bow and hunting, his chest solid and his stomach filled with hard cut abs all from hunting and doing whatever else he did before everything went to shit. Her eyes lift up to face and even that is breathtaking. He's rugged, strong jaw, a nose that looked to have been broken several times (probably from Dean), and eyes that just captured Amy's soul, heart, and breath.

Eli raises a dark eyebrow at Amy's blatant staring, causing her to go flush in her cheeks. "Fine." His voice sends shivers down Amy's voice. It's deep and husky, Amy has to force herself not to moan with the desire to hear that voice when he goes down on her. She bites her lip, trying to shake the image out of her mind.

Her thoughts are snapped out of her when Dean comes storming out of the water, barreling right into his cousin, causing Eli to go stumbling forward. "Hey, sugar tits mini." Amy gives him a confused look as he eyes her over, much like she eyed Eli over. Eli grunts and picks up his kills before heading up the hill. Amy's eyes move away from Dean and track Eli. Looking at him from behind is just as good. His ass looks amazing in those wet jeans. Amy licks her dry lips and hears Dean whistle, causing her to look at him. "He's shy one." Dean tells her. "You're gonna have to make the first move." If Amy's face could get any redder then she'd be a tomato. Dean winks at her before hurrying after his cousin.

"What was that about?" Andrea asks, raising an eyebrow at Amy and eyeing her over.

"N-Nothing." Amy stutters, still too embarrassed and hot and bothered to really speak without her voice shaking.

"Mhm." Andrea grins.

"What?"

"You look like you were about to rip the youngest Dixon's clothes off." Jacqui says, causing Amy to bit her lip and look away.

"No, I wasn't." But everyone could tell she was lying, which made them all burst into fits of giggles, everyone, but Lori.

"If I were you I'd stay away from him." Lori says, her voice as cold as ice. "He could have every known STD there is and he's dangerous. I'd watch my back around them." Amy stares at Lori with a vicious look. It surprises even Andrea and Lori freezes on the spot.

"Couldn't be worst than Shane." Lori's eyes grow wide as Andrea and the others stare at Amy in shock. "Right, Lori?" Amy smiles, but the smile is vicious and sends shivers of fear running down Lori's back. "At least if I fuck Eli I can do it in a tent and not hide in the woods like a dirty slut." Lori stands up furious, but Andrea cuts in.

"Amy that's enough." Andrea snaps, but the look she's giving Amy says everything that Andrea really means. "Apologize right now." Amy looks at Lori with regret and guilt.

"I'm sorry, Lori, I don't know what came over me. I'm so so sorry." She makes her voice shake and her eyes fill with tears.

"It's okay, Amy, it's just been a rough couple of weeks." Lori smiles.

"I think I just need to go into the shade and cool down."

"Come on, I'll walk you up." Andrea says and the two sisters walk away from Lori. "Did you mean it?" Andrea whispers.

"Fuck no, she totally deserved that. The way she has been treating everyone? She acts like she's the queen and we're her servants." Andrea snickers.

"Honestly, I think that was the most amazing thing I've seen since the Dixons. You going at it with Lori." Andrea shakes her head. "You're defiantly my sister." Amy smiles, her eyes moving to where the Dixons were. She could see Eli holding his head in his hands as Merle booming laugh fills the camp. Dean had a big grin on his face as Daryl is glaring at them.

"Shut the fuck up, Dean." Amy hears Daryl snaps, causing Dean and Merle to only laugh harder.

"Wonder what's up with them." Andrea says, causing Amy to shrug.

"Who knows. I think the real question is what's normal for them." Andrea laughs and grabs a cup of water for Amy.

"I think you're on to something there, Amy." Amy accepts the cup, sipping it as her eyes stay on Eli. Eli lifts his head, his eyes snapping over to hers. She swallows the lump in her throat as that hungry feeling fills her stomach again. She smiles at Eli and motions him over. After hearing Dean, no matter how fucked up Dean Dixon is, Amy feels that when it comes to Eli that Dean wouldn't purposely hurt him. Rough him up, sure, but not truly hurt him.

Eli stands up, saying something quick to his family before starting over. She could see Dean watching Eli, while their dads talked. "I'm going back to finish the laundry, shout if you need me or scream if Eli makes you." Amy's eyes snap to Andrea and glares.

"Shut up." Andrea snickers and flaunts off.

"Hey." Amy's eyes snap over to Eli to find him standing before her. He's in dry clothes now, biting his tumb and staring up at her under those long eyelashes of his. He looks so sexy and adorable at the moment. His clothes all ruffled, his hair a dripping mess, that innocent shy face. Amy snaps out of it and smiles at Eli.

"Hey, Eli." She greets. "Did you get anything out there?" She asks, trying to start a conversation.

"Couple of squirrel and rabbit." Eli answers automatically. He seems more comfortable talking about hunting than much else. Amy can only guess that Eli's comfortable with anything that he's used to, which only makes sense. "I'll skin them and bring some over." Eli adds.

"Thanks, Eli, for everything. You and your family do a lot and I know no one else will say it, but we do appreciate it." Eli's cheeks grow a dusting a pink as his eyes dart to the ground.

"It's not a problem." Amy knows the conversation is dying out and she really wants to continue talking to him.

"You put up traps in the woods, right? Animal traps." Eli frowns, not understanding why Amy was asking.

"Yeah."

"Have you checked them recently."

"Was going to when I got back from hunting. They're on the other side of the woods."

"Can I come with? Maybe I could learn a thing or two." She smiles, hoping she sounded flirty enough for him to get the message. Sometimes Eli can be really oblivious, something she has noticed since he got here. When talking to him you really have to make yourself clear because often times he doesn't get what you're hinting at.

"Sure, I guess." And this is one of the times. Eli shrugs not getting the hint. "We can go now if you're not busy."

"Sure, come on then." Amy takes Eli's hand and starts for the woods, causing Eli's eyes to grow wide, but he doesn't pull his hand free. Amy leads Eli into the woods for a few minutes before stopping. "Um... I'm not exactly sure where I have to go." Eli chuckles, lacing his fingers with Amy's and pulling her in the left-hand direction.

"Come on." He says, leading her through some bushes. Eli lets go of her hands to move to the trap that is sitting there. He takes the leaves and brush off and finds small possum trapped inside. "Looks like we got something." Eli slowly opens the trap and motions for Amy to grab the animal. She does and Eli lets the trap snap clothes. "I'll have Dean reset them later."

"Why not just do it now?"

"Need bate." Eli says. "And I don't have any on me, so I'll have Dean do it." Eli motions for her to follow him as he takes the gross possum from her. Amy looks around the woods before looking back at Eli. This is one of her only chance to be alone with Eli, she needs to use it wisely.

"Hey, Eli?" She runs her hand down his arm, causing him to look at her. "You're walking kind of fast."

"Sorry."

"It's okay." She loops her arm around his and presses against his side. She smiles up at him as heat fills his face. "You don't mind?"

"No... It's fine." His voice is husky again, which makes the heat in Amy go all down to between her legs.

"Really?" Eli only nods and Amy moves in front of him. "Is this okay?" She runs her hands down his chest and Eli nods again. "What about this?" She leans up, her breath ghosting his lips.

"Yeah, that's fine." Eli voice cracks, which causes Amy to smile before covering her lips with his. Eli wraps his arm slowly around her as she kisses him. The kiss is quick, but heated. She pulls away and smiles up at him. His eyes are still closed.

"I should get back. Andrea will be worried. I'll see you later, Eli." Amy kissed his cheek and walks off as Eli opens his eyes.

"Yeah... sure..." Eli presses his fingers to his lips and turns, watching Amy walk off. "What the hell just happened?"


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl looks up as Eli walks out of the woods. "Hey, got anything?"

"W-What?" Daryl raises an eyebrow as Eli practically jumps out of his skin at his father's question.

"Did you get anything from the traps?"

"Oh. That. Uh, yeah, here." He holds it out, causing Daryl to eye him over before grabbing the possum, rabbit, and fox that he managed to get with the traps.

"Okay, then skin it." Daryl says, his eyes still watching Eli. "I'm going to go reset the traps and take a piss. Stay out of trouble."

"Yeah, sure." Eli says, waving his father off as he started skinning the kills he got. Blood coats his hands as he guts the animals, ripping out the useless organs and intestines and putting them in the bucket he always has for it in order to get rid of them later.

Eli is focused on his task that he doesn't hear Carol walking over until she clears her throat. His eyes snap up as his knife slides across his finger. "Fuck." He hisses, the blood running down his finger and onto the rabbit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Here, let me,"

"I'm fin-" She cuts him off his a motherly stern glare before putting down what was in her hands on a log and grabbing his hand. Eli frowns as he looks at the pile of clothes. There was so much plaid in the pile and muscles shirts that it had to be his family's and his clothes. "Are those my family's clothes?" Carol looks up from where she's running a wet cloth over Eli's finger and over at the pile she left.

"Oh... uh, yeah. I hope you don't mind. It's just that I know how busy you and your family are and how much you do for us, so I just thought I'd wash your clothes. I should have asked before grabbing them, but-"

"No, it's fine, thank you. We probably would have just never done it. You didn't have to do that though. It's not that big of a-shit." He hisses as Carol wipes the blood from the cut.

"It's deep. I'll need to stitch it up."

"It's not that big of a deal." Eli says, but Carol's already off before he could finish. Eli sighs and looks around the camp. Like his father, Eli hasn't paid much attention to the group that resides in the camp. He's more focused on the things he needs to do more than the people he's living by. Eli is surprised he even remembers Carol's name or who she was, but he saw her and her daughter running around often enough.

"Here, let me see." Eli lets Carol grab his hands as he looks around for Carol's daughter.

"Where's Sophia?" Eli can't help but ask.

"Oh, she's with Lori. She thinks it's a good idea to keep doing school work for when everything gets back to being normal." Eli frowns and looks over at her.

"The world's not going to just go back to normal. You have people eating people and others rapping and killing. The world's fuck. School work should be the last of anybody's concern." Carol frowns, looking up at him as she puts the peroxide away.

"What'd you suggest then?"

"I don't know, teach them how to defend themselves, use a gun, hunting and tracking would be useful, anything that could be good to use to survive should be taught to them."

"You make a good point." Carol says as she starts stitching his finger up.

"I make a damn good point. Shane's a police man, right? Why doesn't he teach them to use a gun?"

"Sound draws-"

"He doesn't need to fire the gun to teach them. He could teach them how to take apart the gun, clean it, and put it back together for a start. Once they've mastered that teach them how to load and aim it. No need to fire it as long as you know how to when the time requires it."

"Shane's busy with-"

"Fucking olive oil? Yeah, really busy, huh?" Carol looks up at Eli, her jaw practically on the ground. "What?" Eli gives her a smile and his face has the innocent of a child. Eli can pull of the face of innocent all to easy and he finds it's a useful skill.

"All set." Carol smiles.

"Thanks, Carol. Take these with you when you're going." He says, motioning to the animals he got before checking the traps.

"Are you sure? It seems like a lot."

"The group is skin and bones they need the energy and meat. Go on, I got plenty for my family." Carol smiles and kisses Eli's cheek.

"You're a sweet boy." She says before starting off. Eli grins at her and gets back to work as his father walks out.

"What's this?" Eli glances over and sees their clothes still sitting on the log.

"Oh, Carol washed our clothes for us." Eli tells him. "I like her. She's nice."

"Who?" Eli snickers, already knowing his father knew no one in camp because he was the type to block them out.

"Oh, are you talking about the vixen over there?" Eli raises an eyebrow at Dean as he flaunted out.

"Vixen?"

"Mhm, it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for, right Uncle Daryl?" Dean grins, nudging his uncle, who shot him a murderous glare. "That's her." Dean points her out, ignoring his uncle's glare. Daryl rolls his eyes and glances over at the woman. "I swear, I would love to stick my dick in her."

"Ew, Dean, she's twice your age and could be your mother's age." Eli says, causing Dean to grin.

"The older ones are in their prime, baby cousin."

"Uncle Merle, I know you always tell Dean to fuck whoever he wants, but seriously, put an age limit to it." Merle snorts as he sits down beside Dean.

"Kid, she's too old for you." Dean rolls his eyes and picks up a possum to skin, while Eli looks at his dad.

Daryl stares at Carol, eyeing her over. She was something to look at. She looked to be a few years older than him, forty-seven maybe, but she still had a beauty to her. Her hair is short and silvery already and she looked like she had her years beaten out of her, but there's a young and wildness in her eyes that set Daryl's blood boiling. She defiantly was something to look at.

Eli grins as he sees his dad staring at Carol. He moves and sits beside his dad. "What are you waiting for? Go fucken over there." Eli whispers to his dad, causing his father to snap his eyes away from Carol and at Eli.

"What the fuck are you going on about?"

"Dad ever since I can remember you never been with a girl beside the whore that was my mother."

"Yeah because you scare them all away."

"Yeah, well maybe if Uncle Merle didn't bring whores I'd consider letting you be with another woman. Carol's nice and she..." Eli glances Dean over. "Dean's a whore, but she is nice looking. I never seen you give a woman a second look. Come on, you know you want to fuck her."

"You've hung out way too long with your cousin." Daryl grumbles.

"Dad, come on, don't be a pussy."

"Elijah." Eli flinches at his full name, regretting pushing his father so far. "Drop it." Eli lowers his eyes and feels himself curl in on itself. He hated his dad being mad at him.

"Sorry." Eli mumbles. "I just..." He trails off and sighs. "I'll drop it." Eli stands, but Daryl grabs his arm.

"You just what?" Eli looks at him and bites his thumb, a nervous habit he picked up from his father.

"I just want you to be happy, daddy. You're always so busy making sure I have everything I need that you forget about what you need. What you want." Eli looks over at Carol. "I like Carol."

"She's married." Eli raises an eyebrow at his father.

"So you have noticed her already."

"Eli." Eli sighs and nods.

"Right, whatever, but just so you know, I hope a walker bites Ed for you." Daryl shakes his head at his son as he lets him go.

"Stay out of it, Eli and don't give me that innocent face. Don't work on me anymore. Stay out of trouble." Eli groans, but does as he's told and plops himself back down by the animals that still need skinning and gets to work.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next week, Eli listened to his father and dropped the conversation, but he noticed his father's eyes always strayed to the older woman and her young daughter. Eli's father never showed much interest in women. When Daryl Dixon was younger he took to drinking, something he shared with his father, his love of alcohol. Merle was a bigger fan of oxy and heroin. Merle had told Eli once, while he was smoking weed, and said that the only time he found Daryl with a woman was when he was too drunk to give a shit about his scars. Whores spread their legs and no better than to point something like scars out. But once Eli was born his father sobered up real quick and took to raising him. Eli can't remember his father ever drinking or looking at another woman.

Eli hated his grandfather. He hated how much pain Will Dixon caused Eli's father. Eli had only seen his father's scars once and that was when he walked into Daryl's room without knocking. His father had just gotten out of the shower and had his back to the door. Daryl never raised his voice at Eli, he always tried to be calm and took to reasoning to the boy rather than yell and hit him. The day Eli saw his father's scars was the day Daryl yelled at him. Daryl never yelled at Eli before then. Eli had only been five.

 _Eli scampered up the stairs, a wide grin on his face. He had just gotten home from school and he couldn't wait to show his father what he made in art class today. He ran down the hall and opened his father's door, not thinking twice about it. "Daddy-" He cuts himself off as he sees the deep and horrifying scars going down his father's back._

 _Daryl turned fast, having heard Eli's excited voice. "Elijah, how many fucking times did I tell you to knock before you walk in my goddamn room!" Eli jumped hearing his father's angry and loud voice. The clay plate Eli had done in art class slips from his hand, falling to the ground and shattering, while tears rolled down his fearful face._

 _"I-I'm sorry, daddy." Eli whimpers. Daryl stares at Eli as if he just been slapped. Eli turns and quickly hurries out of the room, not even stopping to pick his destroyed plate back up. Daryl watched his traumatized son run out before staring at the ground at the plate he had made from his father._

 _'World's best daddy.' It read in big sloppy black letters. The plate itself was made to look like a Cherokee Rose, his father's favorite._

Eli closes his eyes at the memory. He knew his dad was just upset about his scars. He hated anyone seeing them and when they did he got angry. His father regretted that day as much as Eli, but Eli learned from it and when it came to his father's scars he always treads extremely carefully. Eli can only imagine that his father's scars are the reason his dad never was with a woman sober. The painful memories of his father's past resided on his back for anyone to see. Eli wished his father would realize that those scars didn't mean anything and it especially didn't mean his father was weak or hideous. He wanted his father to be happy, but as long as those scars were on his back Daryl Dixon would never allow himself to be happy.

"You okay, kiddo?" Eli lifts his eyes and sees his father standing there.

"Yeah," Eli clears his throat, trying to get the lump that formed there to go away. His voice was a bit shaky and he hated it. He didn't want his dad worrying about him. "I'm fine, dad." Eli gives a smile, trying to reassure his father.

"You sure? You wanna talk about it?" Daryl takes a seat beside Eli, knocking his knee into Eli in the comforting way that Daryl always knew to do with Eli.

"Dad, stop being a pussy, I'm fine." Daryl smiles and shakes his head, trying not to laugh.

"Shut the fuck up, kid." Daryl ruffles his hair and gets back to sharpening his knife. Eli fought the urge to release a relieved sigh. He managed to get his dad to drop it with jokes like he always did, but he knew if he showed any signs of being upset that his dad would be on him like a dog with a bone. Daryl may not be the affectionate and tender type, but when it came to Eli he did everything for that boy even act like a pussy by giving him hugs.

Eli's eyes move towards where Carol was and fights back a sigh. Carol was a meek woman, but she was very kind. She cared deeply for her daughter and Eli has seen her protect her from the bastard of a husband of hers more times than he can remember. He has yet to catch Ed putting his hands on Carol or Sophia, but the second he does Eli knows he won't be able to stop himself from beating Ed to death.

Eli always wished he could have had a mother like Carol. Someone who would do anything for her child, someone who loved them more than anything in the world, and someone who gave everything they could to their child. Eli often finds himself watching Carol and Sophia, a bit of jealousy and want filled him as he saw Carol read to Sophia or comfort her. He never had a mother to read him bedtime stories or cuddle him when he was sick or even to tell him that they love him and to have a good day at school. He never had that. He didn't blame his father, he knew his dad never planned to bring Eli into this world, but Eli so wished he could have had Carol for a mother. His own mother was a whore who constantly screwed up.

When Eli was born Daryl had wanted Eli to have his mother around. He thought Eli needed a mother and as much as Daryl hated the woman who gave birth to Eli, he tried. His dad really tried to make things work. Eli was only three when his mother had hit him. His mother was a cheap whore who drank too much and smoked enough to fill an entire house in an hour. Eli has severe asthma now because of the woman. When Eli got an asthma attack at his mother's house she got angry and slapped him right across the face, hoping that'd snap him out of his asthma attack. She had been high at the time, so she wasn't really thinking.

Daryl totally lost it after he got a call from the hospital at work. Eli's mother was never meant to be a mother and if Daryl had ditched Eli's mother when he found out she was pregnant then there was no doubt in Eli's mind that he'd be dead by now. The woman had the brain of a fish, forgetting things left and right, hell half the time she forgot to even eat. No, she was an awful mother. Eli doubts Carol ever forget to feed her daughter or hit her.

Eli's heart ached as he watches Sophia hug her mother before running off with Lori's son. He wanted that. He wanted a mother. "Hey, dick sucker." Eli's eyes snap over to Dean, who gives him a crooked grin as he flops down beside him. "What you thinking so deeply about?" Eli never understood how Dean never felt this way. He had asked Dean once if he had wished for a mother, but Dean said that meant he'd have a pussy bossing him around. He was too much like his father to stand having a woman in his life. Eli couldn't even imagine what Dean would have done if Eli was born a girl instead.

"Nothing. You wanna go hunting? I need to get out of here." Dean gives Eli a concerned look, but Eli shrugs it off. "I'm fine, just bored out of my fucken skull."

"Amen to that, cousin." Dean stands up and grabs his bow. It has been two months since all this started and normally Dean would have used his shotgun to hunt, but that makes too much noise, so the two have followed in Eli's father's footsteps and used bows. Eli has a very nice compound bow that he stole just after all this shit went down. Dean got his own compound that he had gotten from Daryl on his twenty-first birthday. Merle had started the tradition when he got Daryl his crossbow. Eli wished he had been twenty one when this shit happened so that he had gotten his own bow from his dad, but the one he has is as good as one his father would have gotten him.

"Hey, we're going out hunting." Eli says as he grabs his quiver, putting it over his head and resting it on his shoulder, before picking his bow up.

"Be careful out there." His dad warns as Dean throws Eli his hunting pack.

"We will."

"Be back before the pussy's dry." Dean says with a grin before walking into the woods.

"You sure you want to go out hunting with him?" Daryl asks, causing Eli to laugh.

"Yeah, the sick fucker would probably get himself shot with his own arrow if I'm not out there with him. We'll be back in a few days. We're going to take a long hunt this time. Try and get a buck if we're lucky."

"Dixon's are unlucky." Eli nods.

"I know." Eli bites his thumb as his looks at his dad before starting after Dean who was hollering for him to hurry up. Eli had a bad a feeling about this, but he pushed it into the back of his mind as he enters the woods.


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl hated when Dean and Eli went hunting on their own. It wasn't only that he worried about them both being out there on their own. They were both good hunters and trackers, they were trained by the best, but Daryl still worried that something will happen. Accidents do happen and Dixons are unlucky, but it isn't the only thing Daryl hates about Dean and Eli going out. He hated how quiet it got. Merle doesn't find it as fun to annoy Daryl when the boys aren't around and without those two kids arguing the day is just boring as all hell.

Daryl ran out of things to do on the second day they were gone. He had skinned all his kill and cooked them up, he checked his traps daily, but nothing was getting caught, and he even reorganized the tent. He was bored out of his skull and he knew Merle was too. The problem with Merle is that it's never a good thing for Merle to be bored. Merle and Daryl were different. Daryl was the quiet sweet one, but Merle was loud and aggressive. Merle has three loves in his life his family, pussy, and fighting. Currently, Merle's family were separated and no one was offering up pussy to him so that only left fighting. Daryl knows it'll happen soon. He has been seeing the tells all day. The way he scanned the camp with danger in his eyes, the way his hands kept twitching, his jaw clenching, the shiver of pure animal instinct to fight running through him.

Daryl didn't want to take his eyes off Merle, he needed to be there to keep Merle from killing someone. Daryl could never have imagined that it'd be him that lost his cool, but he did.

Daryl was done by the creek washing off his skinning knives, trying to get the blood and guts off them when he heard the women laughing. "What's so funny?" Daryl was standing a way down from the girls, but their laughter was loud and so was Ed Peletier's voice, which sounded hostile. Daryl lifts his head and dries his hands off on his jeans. He was watching the group with wariness.

"Just swapping war stories, Ed." Andrea tells the man as the girls looked over at him. Daryl bites his thumbnail as he eyes Carol over. It was all Eli's fault that Daryl can't keep his eyes off her. He had to point her out, which got Merle and Dean filling his head with all sorts of images about this woman.

He didn't even know what it was about the woman that captured her attention. She had short graying hair and clothes that looked like something an eighty-year-old would wear. She looked worse for wear and warn the fuck out. She was thin too, but Daryl figures they all are with the lack of food going around. She was simple too. She wasn't overly curvy or had a big set of tits or even had a young face anymore, but she just got to Daryl. Her blue eyes burned into his mind and her body plagued his dreams. She may not be drop-dead gorgeous but to Daryl she was breathtaking and it scared the hell out of me.

Daryl snaps out of his thoughts as he hears Andrea. "Ed, Tell you what, you don't like how your laundry is done, you are welcomed to pitch in and do it yourself. Here." Daryl watches as Andrea throws a wet t-shirt into Ed's hands. He throws it back at her with enough force to have her stumble back.

"Fuck." Daryl's eyes scan around for Merle and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his brother wasn't around. He'd probably kill Ed just because he was itching for a fight.

"Ain't my job, missy." Daryl bites his thumb some more and watches. He wasn't going to butt into their business, but if he got violent he would, for now, he'll watch.

"Andrea don't." Her sister jumps up and goes to her.

"What is your job, Ed? Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes?"

Daryl's eyes flicker to Carol and sees fear and worry on her face, but her eyes told a different story. Her eyes show anger, humiliation, and disgust. He knows it isn't towards Andrea, she's Carol's friend. "Well, it sure as hell ain't listening to some uppity smart mouth bitch." Daryl sighs and starts his way towards them. He can see a fight starting. "Tell you what," He looks at Carol with an evil and warning that made Daryl almost hurl right there. He has seen that look before. It was the same look his father gave him or Merle before bashing their skulls in. "Come on. Let's go." Carol stood up the same submissiveness on her face and the same fire in her eyes. Ed was beating her into submissiveness, but she was born in fire and just needed a chance to let herself stop being afraid and start showing just what she could do.

"I don't think she needs to go anywhere with you, Ed."

"Shit, she's making it worst." Daryl mumbles. Carol's eyes move past Ed and lands right onto Daryl's blue eyes, freezing him in the spot.

"And I say it's none of your business. Come on now." Carol's eyes move off of Daryl's and back towards Ed. "You heard me."

"Carol." Andrea cuts it, putting a hand on Carol's shoulder.

"Andrea, please. It doesn't matter." That feeling of bile rising in Daryl's throat comes again. Seeing the woman so scared and so willing to take the beating made him sick. He knew what it felt like to feel so weak and defenseless that you just took it. If it hadn't been for Merle and his grandfather then Daryl would still be taking it.

"Hey, don't think I won't knock you on your ass just cause you're some college-educated cooze, alright?" The girls gasp as Ed said that and Daryl saw anger, burning and spitting, in Andrea's eyes. "Now you come on now or you gonna regret it later."

"So she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed?" Jacqui spoke up, surprising Daryl because he didn't believe she ever got involved with things like this. "Yeah, we've seen them." Ed laughs, sounding half insane and completely evil.

"Stay out of this. Come on." Ed says before glaring down at Andrea. "You know what? This ain't none of y'all's business. You don't want to keep prodding the bull here, okay?" Anger filled Daryl as he started towards Ed. Ed isn't a man, he's a pussy. Threatening a woman is something a scared pussy of a man would do and it grated on Daryl's nerves. "Now I am done talking. Come on." He grabs Carol ruffly, but Andrea cuts right back in.

"No, no, Carol, you don't have-"

"You don't tell me what! I tell you what!" Ed snaps at Andrea and Carol's mumbling that Daryl didn't catch. Daryl stops in his tracks as he watches Ed slap Carol. That is all it took, Daryl didn't need another warning. The girls all stood in shock, while Daryl started over.

"Daryl-" Carol starts, but he grabs Ed and punches him, causing him to go staggering.

"You think your a man because you rough a girl up?" Daryl snarls. "Only pussy's hit women. Wanna try a fight with a man for once?" Ed looks up Daryl with fear in his eyes. "What too pussy to fight back? You didn't hesistate to hit Carol did you?" Daryl shakes his head spitting at the ground in disgust. Anger comes into Ed's face and he runs at Daryl, stupid mistake there. He throws a punch, but Daryl dodges with the grace of a cat and punches Ed right into the ribs, causing Ed to stagger. "Wanna try again?" Daryl was just toying with Ed, dancing around him as if he was a plaything. The women watch, while also standing in front of Carol for protection. Ed swings and manages to get a solid punch in Daryl's jaw, but the adrelalin kicking in Daryl made him not feel a thing. He grabbed Ed's arm and a sicking snap fills the air. Ed cries, falling to the ground and holding his broken arm. Daryl snarls and kicks Ed right in the face and then his fat stomach before hitting him once more in the face.

"Daryl, stop, baby brother!" He feels Merle's arms go around him, but Daryl fights him, spitting and snarling like a wild animal.

"If I see you raise your hand to your wife or child again you're dead!" Daryl snarls. "You hear me, you're fucken dead!"

"Okay, baby brother, he got it, come on." Merle pulls him away, leaving Ed sobbing on the ground and chocking on his own blood. Merle pushes Daryl, causing him to go tumbling to the ground. "Damn, baby brother, I thought it'd be me who lost my cool." Merle hums with a grin. Daryl takes a deep breath, closing his eyes as he gets back up. He looks over to see the girls all circling Carol, trying to see if she's okay, but she's just staring down at Ed with disgust and loathing on her face. The fire in her is awake and burning with new life.

"He hit her." Merle looks at Ed and spits on the ground.

"Pussy." Daryl licks his lips and his eyes meet Carol. She stares at him for a long time, while Andrea blabbles on and on to her.

'Thank you' She mouths, causing Daryl to give her a wolfish grin.

'Anytime.' Daryl mouths before turning and starting up the hill with Merle.

"Tell me you're gonna fuck her now."

"Goddamn it, Merle!"


	7. Chapter 7

**I seriously hate how slow fanfiction is with updating a story's reviews. It says I only have two reviews, but I have emails that say I have seven reviews. It takes like two days for the reviews to show up. But don't worry I am reading them and I am very appreciative of your reviews. They help encourage and inspire me to continue this story. I'm glad you all are enjoying this so far. I absolutely love Eli and Dean myself. This won't be following the show exactly, it will have scenes from it at points, but mostly it's my own story. Let me know what you think of this chapter and I'll make sure to check my email because that's the only way I see your reviews right away.**

* * *

Daryl is sharpening his knives that night when Sophia walks over. "Mr. Dixon?" Daryl lifts his eyes and raises his eyebrow. "Thank you." She wraps her arms around him and held tightly, causing his eyes to grow wide. He stilled, unsure what to do or say. It isn't that he isn't used to kids, he has one, but he didn't expect this.

"The mighty hunters have returned!" The entire camp turns to see Dean walking out, while Eli just grunts from behind him, holding a big ten point buck on his shoulders.

"Sure, walk out all heroic, but don't help carry the deer." Eli grunts, but goes ignored by Dean.

"Who's hungry?" The group cheers and Daryl shakes his head until he feels soft tears landing on his shirt. He looks down to see Sophia staring up at him.

"You saved my mama today and your son brought us food... thank you." She burst into tears and held onto him tighter. Daryl froze, wide eyes filled with panic. He never was good with girls crying, especially **on** him.

"Sophia." Daryl lets out a sigh of relief as he hears Carol. He looks up and finds her making her way towards them. "I'm so sorry." Carol apologizes. "Sophia, let go." She tries to pull Sophia away, but she clings tighter. "Sophia." She gives an apologetic smile.

"Hey, Soph, you either let go or you'll miss out on the food." Sophia's head jumps up as she hears Eli.

"Eli!" She lets go of Daryl and runs for his son.

"Soph, I'm covered in blo-" She jumps on him, ignoring his words. He grunts, stumbling slightly, and holding her in his arms as Dean strings the deer up in a tree.

"I'm sorry." Carol whispers, causing Daryl to look up at her. His heart pounds in his chest at how close she is. Daryl bets she doesn't even realize what she does to him.

"It's fine." His voice is rougher and huskier than he wanted, but he doesn't regret it when he sees the effect it has on her. Her face fills with color and she takes a step back, obviously realizing how close they were together.

"What you think, pops?" Eli flops down beside him before his eyes went wide. "What the fuck happened?" He turns his dad's head to see his jaw, which had a nasty bruise. "Who the fuck hit you."

"Ed did." Sophia says, climbing into his lap. "Andrea said he was my mom's knight in shining armor." Daryl's face turns red as Eli raises an eyebrow.

"Oh really, care to share with the class uncle Daryl?" Dean grins.

"Don't you have a buck to skin?" Daryl growls.

"Yes, sir." Dean grins, staying where he is with an expected look on his face. "The longer it takes you to speak the longer it'll be before the deer is skinned and those women out there looked half starved and wild." Eli stares at his dad before picking Sophia up and standing.

"Come on, Dean."

"What, fuck no-"

"Let's go." Eli drags him off. "Amy will fill us in." Eli whispers, causing Dean to grin.

Eli holds Sophia in his arms as he walks down to the creek, while Dean works on skinning the buck. Sophia has been Eli's shadow since he got here and the second Carol talked to him the other day Sophia made her presence known, well he made her think that he didn't know previously that she was around. For some reason, she seems very interested in Eli and almost looks at him like a brother.

"I'm going to wash up, okay? First off, however, come here." Sophia walks over as Eli walks into the water. He scoops some water up and washes her arms, face, and legs that got bloody from jumping into his arms. "There, now, I'm going to go freshen up. Go ask your mama or my dad to get you some fresh clothes, okay?"

"Okay." She runs off, Eli waits until he can't see her before taking his jeans and shirt off. He kicks his boots and socks off and goes back into the water. He dives under, running his hands over his body to wash off all the blood. He comes up for air and runs a hand through his short hair. A content sigh escapes his lips as he closes his eyes and relaxes in the water. He always loved swimming, but these past few months Eli hasn't been able to relax. He stresses like his father. While Dean and Merle could care less if these people go starving Eli and his father are always worried about feeding everyone and keeping them safe. They go hunting every day just to have enough. The deer up there will be good for the night, they'll eat all over it and fill up, so that tomorrow the Dixons won't have to worry about them being as hungry as they are probably today.

"You going to lay in there all day, Dixon!" Eli opens his eyes and turns to see Amy standing on the beach. "Well?" Eli's face turns bright red as he sees Amy. He hasn't really spoken to her since the kiss in the woods. Eli isn't going to ignore his feelings, he'd be a hyporit with how he was trying to get his father to end up with Carol, but he still the awkward shy Dixon boy like his father.

"Hey, Amy." Eli smiles shyly as he walks to the beach.

"Brought you a towel to dry off with and a fresh set of clothes."

"Thanks, you didn't have to do that." Amy looks away and holds the towel out to him.

"I don't mind." Eli takes the towel and begins to dry off with it.

"Mind turning around."

"Oh, right, sorry." Amy turns around and Eli pulls off his wet boxers and looks through the pile. Of course Amy didn't grab him bockers. Eli rolls his eyes and slips his jeans on, not giving a shit about going commando. His jeans hung dangerously low on his hips, but he neither cares or notices. He slips on his muscle shirt and his red flannel because the night air is chilly, and then he sits down on the beach pulling on his socks and shoes.

"You can turn around now, thanks again by the way."

"No problem." Amy sits down beside him and the two stare out at the water.

"So, what happened with my dad today? Figure you saw it, right?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"Nope." Eli pops the p and pulls his eyes away from the water to look at her.

"Well, the girls and I were down here doing laundry."

"And?"

"And Ed was down here causing trouble."

"Did he hurt you?" Amy blushes and smiles.

"Aw, are you worried about me?" Eli rolls his eyes and scowls.

"Forget I even asked." Eli goes to stand up, but Amy pulls him back down.

"I'm sorry, it's just so fun to tease you." Eli glares at her, but she just giggles. "Anyways, Ed started shit and Andrea got involved and then all of us got involved, which made Ed hit Carol."

"Is Carol okay?" Eli asks, worrying filling his blue orbs.

"Yeah, she'll be okay. Your dad pulled him off her and started hitting him."

"My dad hates abusive assholes. It's the sure thing to set him off. If he sees a man hit a woman or child then my dad loses it. He raised me never to raise a hand to a woman or child."

"You Dixons are rough, but your good men." Amy says, wrapping her arms around his right arm and resting her cheek against his shoulder. She moves closer and the two are silent for a moment. "Ed got a hit on your dad, but your dad didn't even flinch. He just went at it with Ed. Had to be pulled off by your uncle."

"Sounds like him. Too pissed off to feel pain and too angry to stop."

"I don't think it's a good idea if Sophia and Carol slips in their tent tonight."

"My dad and I got a spare. We didn't bother with it because my uncle's tent is big enough for all four of us, but my dad and mine would be big enough for Carol and Sophia."

"She should put up near you guys. You guys are light sleepers, I'm sure even in your sleep you're listening out for danger."

"Yeah, it's just how we are." Eli agrees.

"So it's settled. She'll tent out near you guys. You guys will keep her and her daughter safe and your dad can get laid." Eli's eyes widen. "Oh, please I'm not an idiot. Your dad totally went knight and shining armor over Carol. There's totally something there."

"You're such a girl." Eli says with a roll of his eyes, pulling his arm out of Amy's tight hold.

"And you're such a guy." She says with her own roll of her eyes. "I don't you know a single romatic gesture."

"Want to bet?" She raises an eyebrow at him. "Look up." She looks up to see the sky filled with bright stars. "Beautiful view, to teenagers alone, I think it's pretty romantic." Her eyes meet Eli and he grins.

"Where's the romance?" Eli pulls her towards him and kisses her, her fingers tangling in his short hair. Eli pulls away a second later, resting his forehead against hers.

"How's that?"

"I take back what I said."

"Oh yeah?"

"You're such a guy that you only think with your dick." Eli's jaw drops as she gets up. "See you later Eli, don't forget to help Carol set up that extra tent of yours. Bye."

"I hate girls." Eli grumbles as he watches her walk off with a cocky air to her walk. "Bitch."

"Heard that!"

"Good."


	8. Chapter 8

"Tell me again why she has to use our extra tent and park herself right by us?" Dean asks as he helped his dad, uncle, and Eli gets the tent up and situated.

"One, she can't stay with Ed because he'd probably kill them while we are all sleeping. Two, no one else has a spare tent. Three, her being by us means we can keep her safe. Everyone else sleeps like the dead and Ed would be able to slip into her tent and kill her without anyone knowing." Eli lists off as he finishes. "Now, I'm going to see if there are any extra blankets for them to use tonight." Eli heads off for the rv to talk to Dale, while the others watch after him.

"Uncle Daryl, I really think he's committed to this one." Dean says, glancing over at his uncle. "You better watch out because if Eli has it his way you'll be wearing a wedding band soon enough." Merle laughs as Daryl glares after Eli, knowing all too well that Dean is right. "And plus, when have you ever said no to Eli. He's your baby boy after all." Daryl rolls his eyes but doesn't argue. He never does say no to Eli, which is why Eli gets away with a lot more than Dean ever can.

"We can't stay here forever." Merle speaks up, causing Dean and Daryl to look his way. "We're supposed to be making our way up to Drewberry." Drewberry is where Daryl's and Merle's grandfather lived up in his hunting cabin.

"He's right, Liz and Colton are waiting for us." Daryl says as he stands up.

"We said we'd only stay here a week, but Eli pushed it back to a month. We need to keep moving." They all turn to see Eli leaning against the rv, Amy standing beside him, the both of them smiling and talking. Dale walks out with an armful of quilts, but Eli doesn't notice him as Amy says something.

Eli looks over at Dale, thanking him, and grabs the quilts. Amy gives him a quick kiss before walking off, leaving Eli glaring after her. "Eli actually looks happy here though." Dean says quietly. It had always been harder for Eli back home. At school, people looked down at him and he got into fights a lot. He didn't have any friends and all the girls that were interested were the school whores, all the good girls thought he was nothing, but trash. Eli acted almost mechanically back home. During the week he got up and went to school, came home did homework and eat, and then went right to bed. On weekends he worked all day long and then came home and went to bed. He never took the time to enjoy life and it might be horrible, but Dean is glad for the apocalypse. The end of the world left Eli with fewer responsibilities and threw Amy at him, giving him time to socialize for once. "I know we have to get Norm, Liz, and Colt, but look Eli." Dean says, motioning to the kid who was walking over, trying to hide a smile. "He never seemed happier than he does right now. I get it, I do, we need to get the others, but Eli looks so happy."

Daryl looks at Merle, but he shakes his head. "We need to get to Drewberry, Dean. I'm sorry for Eli's sake, but we have to move on. I'll let him have a few more days of this, but then we're moving, Dean. That's final."

"Dad-"

"End of discussion." Dean sighs and nods as Eli walks over.

"Hey, got them some blankets. Figured we lay the heavy one down first so they can lay on it and not feel the hard ground as much. Then use the second one to keep them warm and the smaller ones for pillows." Eli says as he holds up the four blankets. "Glenn found these when he went to Atlanta last week, figured the group might need them eventually."

"We're leaving in a few days." Dean tells Eli, causing his father to give him a look.

"What?" Disappointment fills Eli's voice and a sadness that makes Daryl almost flinch.

"Yeah, happy fucken birthday to you." Dean grumbles before walking around him and walking off.

"Dean." Merle calls, but Dean ignores him. "Dean, get your ass back here." Dean walks into the woods, causing Merle to growl and start after him.

Eli frowns and looks at it his dad. "We're leaving in two days?" Daryl looks at Eli, but can't find it in himself to say anything. Eli looks away and goes into the tent without another word. He begins to get the tent ready for Carol and Sophia.

"Eli, we have to get to Norm, Liz, and Colton." Daryl says as he walks in after him. Eli doesn't say anything as he focuses on his task. "Eli, come on, you know we don't abandon family. We have to-"

"They'll die without us here." Eli whispers, causing Daryl to frown.

"Eli, they're not our responsibility. They have the whole group here to protect them."

"Shane only cares about fucking his bitch, the girls stand no chance against Ed even if it was all of them, Glenn is weaker than shit and so is Dale, Morale has his own family to protect, and T-Dog is oblivious to what is going on. Who is going to protect them, huh, dad?" Daryl looks at Eli, not sure what to say to that. "When we leave they're dead. It's as simple of that. Have a good night. I'm going to go get Carol and Sophia and then head to bed."

"Eli-" Eli walks out without another closes his eyes, running a hand through his hair.

* * *

When morning comes Eli and Dean are up before their fathers and deep in the woods. "I'm sorry, Eli, you know if we could we'd stay." Dean says as they walk in the woods. Dean had always been more softer than Merle. Dean can drop the hard redneck act and be there for Eli when Eli needed it. It's why Eli puts up with Dean.

"Why are you apologizing? We have to go to the family." Eli shrugs off.

"Eli, come on, baby cousin, I can see you with Amy. You like her."

"She's just some pussy." Eli shrugs.

"Bullshit. I might believe that if it was me or my dad saying it, but not you. You don't believe in just fucking. You're the type of pussy that wants a relationship and crap. Amy means more than just a quick fuck." Eli looks away and stares out in the woods. "Maybe..." Dean bites his lip. "Maybe her and Andrea will come with us." Eli's eyes snap over to Dean's. "I mean my truck has plenty of room, or Andrea and Amy can rid on the back of yours and dad's bikes or with Uncle Daryl."

"Dean..."

"And I know you're worried about Carol and Sophia. They might be willing to follow us. Andrea's Carol's friend and getting away from the group means getting away from Ed."

"Dad's not going to want to take them." Eli whispers. "It just means more people to watch out for."

"Eli, your dad wants you happy and if we take you away from Carol, Sophia, Amy, you'll be miserable. Carol will want her friend and Amy will want her sister, so if you want to protect Carol and Sophia, while also fucking Amy then we have to bring Andrea too."

"Dean, do you even hear yourself? You want us to bring four extra people with us to Drewberry, which is three days from here? That means on the road for three days. We will only stop to piss, hunt, eat, and sleep. There's no way they'll want to do that and there's no way Dad and uncle Merle will want to deal with them."

"Eli, I'm trying to find a solution."

"There is none. We just... we just have to leave. Dad won't take them, neither will Merle, and they won't want to go." Dean sighs and leans against a tree.

"We could ask."

"Dean, why are you so stubborn on this?"

"Because Eli, ever since I've known you, you've been miserable." Eli frowns and looks at Dean.

"No, I haven't."

"Eli, don't think I haven't noticed you looking at Carol and Sophia. Do you remember when we were kids? The school used to do all these mother and son bullshit activities? You used to come home in tears. In tears?! You never let your dad or mine see. You'd just act all happy in front of them and the second you got to your room you'd break down. I was there for every single one of those moments. I could give less than a fuck about having a mom, I never cared. I don't need one, but you..." Dean shakes his head and looks away. "You're different than me. You need one." Dean looks over at Eli. "Carol is sweet and selfless. The perfect mother. She's everything you've always wanted. If we leave they're dead, you said it yourself. It'll kill you to leave them for Ed to kill. And since I've known you, you have never paid attention to girls. You're the same as your father. You always said the girls at school are either whores or bitches or both. Amy isn't a whore and she isn't a bitch."

"Depends on her mood." Dean rolls his eyes.

"Stop being a smart ass." Eli chuckles and stares down at his feet.

"Amy makes you happy, I know you barely know each other, but you'd miss her. You'd miss the stupid banter you do, the late night talks, the sweet kisses-"

"Shut the hell up, Dean." Dean chuckles.

"Hey, you've always the pussy cousin." Eli glares at Dean, but this only makes him laugh more. "Honestly, I hate seeing you upset. You've always been upset. As a kid, you'd cry because you didn't have a mom and the kids at school harassed you for it. Growing up you got harassed because you didn't have a girlfriend. They used to say you scared away pussy." Eli glares at the ground at the reminder of what the kids at school said. "They were assholes and you always put on a happy act in front of dad and Uncle Daryl, but never me. I always saw what they didn't. I saw the anger in your eyes, the sadness, the loneliness. I saw it all. You worked your ass off to keep your mind off it and you lied to keep our dads from worrying, but I saw it, Eli and I worried. I worried every second of every day how far those kids could push you before you broke. You're already fracturing, Eli and if we leave for Ed to kill Carol and Sophia then you'll break for real this time and I won't let you. I won't let you shut down on me. I need you, okay, Eli, I'm not joking, I'm not being an asshole, I'm being truthful. I need you, baby cousin. I need our banter, I need your idiot face, I need you watching my back like I watch yours, I need your awkward ass to make fun of, I need my baby cousin." Eli looks up at Dean and sees the pure fear and worry in Dean's eyes.

Eli finds it hard to breathe, hard to look at Dean, hard to swallow back the lump that is growing in his throat. "Wait until the day we leave. Maybe then things will work out the way you want. For now, our dads won't be happy about us taking off this morning. They'll be in no mood to convince them to bring four extra people with us to Drewberry."

"Okay." Eli looks at Dean for a long moment before sighing.

"Let's head back. I think you scared away all the game anyways."

"Well, at least you aren't scaring away pussy anymore."

"Goddamn it, Dean."


	9. Chapter 9

"So, you're leaving? What about... What about Carol and Sophia? Ed is still healing, but he's furious." Eli is sitting up in a tree with Amy, the two wanted to get away to talk for awhile. Dean and Eli haven't said much to their dads, both too deep in their own emotional turmoil to make much conversation with the opposing Dixon men.

"I know." Eli sighs and leans his head back against the tree, closing his eyes. The breeze felt nice up here. "I don't have a choice, Amy. We got family up there and we promised them we'd be there."

"How did you promise them? The world's over. No electricity."

"They just know."

"Well, who says you have to leave? Why can't you stay here?" Eli opens his eyes and glances over at Amy.

"I have to, Amy. They're family. I can't just not go to them."

"Why can't they come here."

"Drewberry's safer. The hunting cabin's far in the woods with a fence surrounding our property. No way for any dead or living thing to get in without blowing the doors down."

"I... I don't want you to go." Eli glances over at Amy who stares down at her hands. "I just started getting to know you, Eli... please stay." Eli feels the familiar lump in his throat again. He tries to swallow, but it's like his mouth is filled with sawdust. "You're over 18, your dad can't make you do anything."

"And if it was you, Amy? If your sister had family, would you be able to stay here without your sister?" Amy doesn't say anything, causing Eli to shake his head. "You wouldn't." Amy sighs and rests her head on his shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you." Eli wraps an arm around her and sighs.

"Yeah..." Eli bites his thumb and looks down at her. "What if..." Eli frowns. "What if your sister and you come with us?" Amy looks up at Eli with surprise.

"Can we? Will your dad be okay with that? What about your uncle?"

"Would your sister want to go?"

"She wants me to be happy and she can't stand the people here. She'd be willing to."

"My dad and uncle..." Eli sighs. "Dean wants to ask them, but we're worried they're going to say no. Dean wants us to have you, Andrea, Carol, and Sophia all come with us, but I don't know if our dads will want to take you all. We'll be on the road for three days trying to get to Drewberry. It's a long drive, it's on the other side of this state and we won't be stopping too often. If we do then we'll end up not making it until four days. It won't be an easy trip. You'll be either in Dean's truck or on my bike the whole time."

"I..." Screams, cut Amy off. "What was that?" Eli scans the dark forest for signs of why people should be screaming and that's when he saw it.

"Oh god..." Amy looks down and they see a huge hoard of walkers underneath them.

"Eli..."

"We're safe up here."

"But what about the others?"

"My dad will protect everyone."

"Eli." Eli wraps his arm around Amy, holding her close to him, his eyes on the fire from camp, hoping everyone is safe.

Daryl eyes keep flicking back to the woods. Eli has been gone for hours with Amy. "Relax, baby brother he's probably just getting pussy before we have to leave tomorrow." Merle says, causing Daryl to shoot a glare at him.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed Dean and Eli not talking to us. They're up to something."

"They're pissed, brother, we're taking them away from the people they've grown attached to." Merle tells him.

"We can't stay."

"I know that and so does those boys, but it don't mean they're happy about it." Daryl runs a hand through his hair and sighs.

"I'm trying, Merle, I'm trying to do what's best for Eli, but he's making it so damn hard."

"He's nineteen, Daryl, twenty tomorrow. Of course, he's making it hard. Dean did the same thing when he turned twenty, thought he was a big shot because he got out of the teen years. Most of his criminal record is from when he was twenty. Eli's testing you, just like Dean did. You just have to forget his feeling and just be his father. He needs a strong hand, not the lovey-dovey pussy shit he grew up."

"He's not just luggage, Merle. I don't just carry him around."

"I know that Darylina, but that boy will cause you problems if you ain't hard on him." Daryl sighs and looks over at Dean, who purposely sat far from them.

"Yeah and what about Dean, huh? You think this strong hand is working on him? He hasn't talked you in days." Merle flinches and Daryl sees just how much Dean's silence is affecting him. "Have you even tried to talk to him?"

"I'm done chasing that boy. He wanna talk then he knows where to find me." Daryl rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure that'll work wonders for him."

"Shut the hell up. You can't talk. Your boy has been ignoring you just as much."

"But at least I'm trying to get him to talk. You're just ignoring Dean back. You're supposed to be the adult not the kid." Merle glares at Daryl.

"Yeah, and how would you know? I was the one that raised you. I didn't have any help until Norm got back from overseas. You were fourteen at the time and you barely needed him at that point. I raised you, Daryl, don't forget that." Daryl falls silent.

"Merle-" Groans cuts him off causing them to jump up. A scream pierces through the air and Daryl turns to see Jacqui getting taken down by two walkers. Jim is next.

"They're everywhere." Andrea shouts, holding her gun. "Have you seen Amy?" She asks Daryl, who looks towards the woods.

"Eli and her went in the woods hours ago." Fear ripples through Daryl and that familiar feeling of needing to puke washes over him.

"Uncle Daryl, knowing Eli he got somewhere safe." Daryl's eyes snap to Dean who has his bow in his hands. "Don't worry, Eli ain't dumb."

"There's too many." Merle says as he begins firing. Left and right members of the camp are falling. The walkers are closing in on the Dixons and Andrea.

"Daddy..." Merle pulls Dean close to him, still firing at the walkers.

"It's going to be okay, Dean, just keep firing." The sound of a horse, has them looking up. A man with a sheriff's hat sits on a horse, firing a shotgun.

"Here, use them." He throws a bag of guns towards Shane, who catches them with a look of disbelief. The members still alive each take a gun and starts firing.

With the added guns the walker herd begins to thin. "Who the hell is this guy?" Dean questions as the last walker falls.

"Don't matter to us. This only gives us more reason to leave tomorrow." Merle says.

"Can Amy and I tag along?" Andrea asks, looking over at them. "There's no way we're sticking with these people."

Daryl and Merle look at each other before turning and seeing Amy running out of the woods. "Andrea!" She runs over and hugs her sister. "Are you okay? Eli and I saw the walkers and heard the screams. We thought..." Amy cuts off, too upset looking to finish.

"We're okay." Eli leans against the tree, his arms crossed. Daryl meets his eyes before looking at Andrea.

"We have plenty of room." He finds himself saying.


	10. Chapter 10

Daryl throws Andrea's things into the back of Dean's truck, being careful of Dean's bike. "So who am I riding with?" Andrea asks. "Amy's probably riding with Eli, so..."

"You're riding with me, sugar tits." Merle says, winking at her.

"Oh really?" Andrea says as she raises an eyebrow. Merle smirks and eyes her over. "Hey, Dean?" Dean looks over at her as does Eli and Amy. "I'm riding with you, baby Dixon." Dean raises an eyebrow and shrugs.

"Sure thing sugar tits." Andrea smiles at Merle.

"I think I'll chance it with the younger version." She says with a wink leaving Merle staring at her shocked.

"Did you just get rejected for your son?" Merle glares at Daryl.

"Shut the fuck up. Just wait until it happens to you, baby brother, it won't feel too damn good." Daryl chuckles as Shane walks over with the mysterious stranger that they learned was Lori's husband, Rick.

"Are you really leaving? After last night?" Shane asks with his usual douche voice.

"Yup." Merle says as he crosses his arms. "We are, dick lips." Shane glares at Merle.

"You should stay with the group, safer in numbers." Rick tries to reason with Daryl. He learned all about them from Shane.

"Or rather meat to eat with us Dixons around." They turn as Eli walks up. "Right?"

"It's not safe out there. The world isn't what it used to be." Rick tells them, causing Daryl to raise an eyebrow.

"I think we'll manage on our own." Daryl says, causing Dean to fight the urge to laugh.

"Are we heading out soon?" Amy asks, causing Daryl to nod.

"We're leaving in a minute."

"Look, the CDC is supposed to be safe and it's-"

"We ain't putting our trust in what the radio has to say. They said Atlanta was safe and now it is filled with those things." Dean says. "We're heading to Drewberry and you ain't invited. Head to the CDC if you want, but we're heading to Drewberry."

"Leave it, Rick, these men aren't worth the time." Merle chuckles

"I'm sure you're real glad he's back, huh? I'm sure your time is spent differently now."

"What the fuck did you say." Rick holds Shane back as he tries to go at Merle.

"Shane. Shane, stop. Let's go. I said let's go."

"Good luck out there on your own. You're gonna need it. You Dixons are unlucky." Eli shrugs as he leans against his dad's truck.

"I don't know, we've been getting lucky lately." He glances over at Amy who is talking with Andrea. "Real lucky."

"Come on, let's take the tents down." Daryl says as he heads to the tents, which they did last.

"Are you really leaving?" The two turn just as they got to the tent to see Carol and Sophia standing there.

"Yeah." Eli says before seeing the look from his father.

"This place isn't safe."

"Rick says the CDC-" Eli laughs, causing them to look at him.

"The CDC is a joke just like Atlanta is. Nowhere that is promised to be safe is ever safe."

"Where are you going then?" Sophia asks, but Carol gives her a look.

"Be safe." Carol tells Eli who smiles.

"You can come with us." Eli offers. "We're heading to our grandfather's hunting cabin." He tells Sophia. "That place is safe."

"Why don't you tell Rick then?" Sophia asks.

"Because we don't want them come with." Eli moves and crouches in front of her. "Did you see what last night was?" She nods at him. "That will only keep happening with Rick or Shane in charge. Shane, he's too busy..." Eli goes to say 'fucking Lori' before catching himself. "He's too busy following Lori around like a lovesick puppy, while Rick is too busy with being happy to see his family to really lead. He may have road in like the lone ranger, but he ain't no hero. In the end of the day, he is just a man that is trying to protect his family and if it came to protecting them or you..." Eli shakes his head. "He'll save them."

"Would you?"

"I won't lie, family's important, but that doesn't mean we're interested in only saving family. I'd try and save everyone if I could."

"And if you couldn't."

"I'd save you." He scoops her up and she wraps her arms around him.

"Promise?"

"Always." He turns and looks at Carol and his dad who was watching them.

"Soph's riding with me. Amy can ride with Dean. I wanna this little one with me." Sophia's eyes widen.

"Can I mom? Can I ride the motorcycle." Carol looks like she's debating it.

"I have a helmet that could fit her." Carol looks over at Daryl as he says it. "Used to be Eli before he got old enough to refuse to wear a helmet."

"I hate helmets." Eli shrugs.

"Yeah, who doesn't want brain damage?" Eli snickers and looks at Sophia.

"Brain splatter's cool." Sophia looks at Daryl.

"Helmet." Eli laughs.

"You're no fun."

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, we'll get this tent down and head out." Daryl looks at Carol. "Go on and get your things."

"You don't have to-"

"Carol!" They turn and see Ed walking over. Daryl snorts as he sees how bad Ed looks.

"Was half hoping his ass was chewed on last night." Daryl mumbles under his breath, but they heard.

"Me too." Daryl looks over at Carol, their blue eyes meeting. She smiles before looking at Ed.

"I'm going with Daryl, Ed."

"The hell you are."

"Ed, just stop." Carol took her rings off and put it in his hand. "Sophia and I decided either way that we weren't staying with you. I won't let you break her like you did with me. The Dixons are giving Sophia and I a chance to be away from you for good and I'm taking it." Carol nods at the father and son before heading off to grab her things.

"You heard her, Ed, fuck off." Ed snarls and Eli turns quickly to face him.

"Snarl at my father one more time and I'll rip your goddamn vocal cord out." Eli snaps, letting Sophia slips to the ground.

"Watch your tone boy."

"Daryl, aren't going to stop it? Ed will hurt him?" Sophia whispers.

"Nah, he got it." Daryl crosses his arms, a wide grin on his face.

"Or what, Ed?" Ed punches Eli, causing him to stumble, blood runs down from his lip and fills his mouth. Eli laughs and looks at Ed. "One hit. It's the only thing I let anyone get. Just like my father." Eli punches Ed in the face, causing his nose to give off a sickening crack. While he stumbles Eli goes and pulls his knife out.

"Elijah." Eli ignores his father and puts his knife to Ed's throat.

"If you come anywhere near Carol, Sophia, or anyone I will slit your fat fucken throat. If you even think their names I will hunt you down and rip you limb fucken limb. I'm a Dixon I have no problem killing. Don't give me a reason." Eli growls before stabbing Ed in the shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. Eli pulls it out and slips the knife back into its slot. "Remember Ed because I never forget." He looks up and sees the whole camp watching him. "Let's go Soph. You got the tent, dad?"

"Yup." Eli picks Sophia up and heads for the trucks.

"And you're supposed to be the sweet one like uncle Daryl." Dean says.

"I am until you pissed me off."

"All Ed did was snarl at Daryl." Amy whispers.

"Oh, trust me, sweet innocent, Amy, Ed did a lot more to Eli."


	11. Chapter 11

**An: I am writing another story with Dean and Eli in it, but this one isn't in the Zombie Apocolypse. If you want to check it out, it's called 'Cursed'. Here's a quick summary-**

 **Carol Morrow is recently divorced and moved to the town of Drewberry only a week ago when her car breaks down. What first started out as a bad day turns into everything she could dream about. Now with a new job comes new friends, but also a possible romance. Her boss, Daryl Dixon, is a single father just trying to look after his son. He isn't looking for any romance until Carol walked through his door. An unspeakable, but powerful, connection is made between Carol and Daryl and fighting it only makes it stronger. But this heated romance has a few bumps in the road because Dixons are cursed, but curses are meant to be broken and Carol might just be the key of breaking it.**

* * *

Carol rides in the truck with Daryl as they go down the road. Her mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Just last week she was sleeping beside Ed and being abused by him. Now, she's sitting beside Daryl Dixon and heading far away from Ed. If you had told her last week she'd be heading off with Daryl then she'd have called you nuts. She still can't get over what happened at the creek. Ed had been way out of line saying what he did to Andrea, although Carol wished she'd just stayed out of it, but if she did then Carol wouldn't be here. When Ed had slapped her, Carol had barely felt it. She was used to it. The feeling of his hand across her face almost felt natural, normal.

She can remember exactly when their relationship took a turn for the worst. Since they were together Ed had always been controlling and possessive, but Carol had been so naive back then. Ed had been her first boyfriend and she thought he was just being sweet. When she got pregnant with her baby boy Ed had been so happy. Carol can remember it so well. It was the first time Ed had looked like he gave a crap for her in months. After they got married Ed grew bored of her, which only made her try harder to please him. The baby was supposed to be the thing that kept Ed with her. She was terrified of losing him.

She was six months pregnant when the drunk driver smashed his truck into her car. She had almost died. She was unconscious for a week. When she woke up there was only hate and anger in Ed's eyes. She had lost the baby. From then on she felt so much guilt and self-hatred that she allowed Ed to hurt her. She thought she deserved it. She lost their baby. She should be hated. That was when Ed became who he was.

She never thought she'd escape it and so she did what she always did. She got used to it and sucked it up. She stopped letting it bother her and she started worrying only about her daughter, the only child she managed to conceive and coincidentally the only girl she created, which only made Ed angrier. Every time she got pregnant with a boy she lost it, but Sophia, Sophia was the only baby to survive. The world Carol brought that baby into almost made her wish Sophia hadn't survived, which only made guilt eat away at her.

When Daryl pulled Ed off her that was the moment Carol felt her chains loosen. She was getting free. Just a little more and she'd be released from Ed's clutches. She didn't even feel guilty for letting Daryl punch Ed or beat him. She let him. She watched him. She enjoyed it. It makes her feel awful for enjoying Daryl hurting Ed, but in her mind, every punch Daryl threw at Ed was every scar Ed put on her.

Daryl Dixon was a man, unlike any Carol, had ever seen before. He was rough around the edges, but Carol could see the sparkle in the center. He was made to look like coal, but dust it away and you find a diamond. She barely knew the man, but from what she has seen she knows he isn't what Lori or Shane believes. He is kind. He brings more food than his family can eat. He watches over the camp when he doesn't have to. He protected her from Ed when he could have just walked away. She owed the man so much and now he was taking her away from Ed, away from her past, away from her nightmares.

He gave her something that no one ever gave her. Everyone gives her pity and sympathy, but Daryl gave her something that means the world to her. He gave her freedom and he gave her safety. Without Daryl and his family, she'd be still with Ed and she knew that the next beating would have taken her life. What would Sophia do without her? Sophia was only thirteen and had so much life in her. She was breaking every day and it only made Carol break more.

She saw the way Ed looked at her little girl. He saw the horror of what was going on in that man's head. She is thirteen years old and Ed was looking at their little girl. It almost made her sick to think of the man putting his hands on her little girl. Touching her, whispering horrible things to her, Carol could puke right here just thinking about it.

No man should ever look at their daughter the way he did. No one should ever suffer like her little girl did. A father is supposed to protect his daughter, guard her, keep her safe. He's supposed to love and cherish her. Show her affection and spoil her rotten. He's supposed to do father-daughter things with her like going fishing or to games or even shopping. Ed didn't do any of that. That man was no father to her little girl.

When she looked at Eli and Daryl she almost wants to cry. There is so much love on Eli's face when he looks at his father. Daryl taught him how to hunt, how to track, and so many other things. Carol is sure Daryl took Eli hunting, camping, fishing, and so many other things. Daryl protects his son and is willing to risk his own life for the safety of Eli. Daryl shows his son love and affection. He spoils Eli rotten and jokes around with him. Daryl is a father that any sane child would want. He's the type of father that Carol had always wanted for Sophia.

Daryl Dixon was many things, but a piece of trash was not it.


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl glances over at Carol. She hasn't said anything since they started the ride. She has been deep in thought. His eyes move back to the road ahead of him and saw Sophia resting her head against Dean's back. A smile comes to his lips just as Carol spoke up. "Thank you." Daryl's eyes snap over to hers.

"For what?" Carol bites her lip as she thinks.

"For everything." Daryl raises an eyebrow before looking back at the road. "For bringing meat to all of us, for protecting the group, for what you did to Ed." Daryl's eyes snap over to her again. "Ed... He was going to kill me. I saw it in his eyes. Thank you." Daryl swallows the lump in his throat and nods. They haven't talked about it until now. Daryl was going to apologize, worried she was upset, but if he did it would definitely not be sincere. "I feel awful." She whispers, causing his eyes to snap over to her again. "I actually was hoping you'd kill him." She admits, feeling her heart beating in her chest. "I am awful for wanting someone to die."

"Ed deserved it." Daryl tells her.

"Does anyone deserve to die?"

"You said it yourself. He would have killed you. If not that night then the next. And if you were killed that would leave your daughter alone with-" Carol turns pale as her thoughts go back to what she was thinking.

"I know." Daryl looks back at the road.

"What's going on up there?" Daryl looks and sees Dean's truck keeps speeding up and slowing down.

"No clue." Daryl says with a curious expression.

* * *

"You want to play twenty questions?" Amy asks from where she sits beside Eli. Halfway through the trip, Dean decided he wanted to ride his bike, so they had pulled over and gotten Dean's bike out and Eli took over driving Dean's truck. Andrea is now riding on Merle's bike after much protest.

"Twenty questions?"

"Yeah, I ask you ten that we both have to answer and then you ask me ten that we both answer. We go back and forth."

"Okay... Sure." Eli shrugs.

"Okay, I'll start with an easy one. Favorite color."

"Green." He says without hesitation.

"Mine's blue." Eli snorts.

"Blue and pink are the colors that kids like."

"It used to be purple, but your eyes..." Eli looks over at Amy. "Your eyes made me love blue." She runs a thumb under his eyes, causing him to smile "You turn."

"Before the world ended, what was your favorite thing to do?"

"Hmm, I loved reading."

"You can do that whenever." Eli tells her.

"I know, but in my parents' house they used to have this sunroom and it used to be my favorite place to read. During the day the light shined in there and made everything sparkle and it used to feel so warm in there. At night everything came alive and I could see the different animals stalking that night, the stars in the sky, I used to love that sunroom and reading in there." Eli smiles.

"That's nice."

"What about you?"

"My dad and uncle owned this mechanic shop before all this shit happened. It's why we weren't in Drewberry. We had to deliver some bikes to this guy up in Atlanta, so we weren't home when this shit happened. But I used to love the garage. It was always boiling in there during the summer and freezing in the winter, but every memory I had was in that garage. It's where I first learned how to walk, how to talk, hell I even got potty trained in the bathroom at that shop." Amy laughs, causing Eli to smile over her. "My entire life was in that garage, but my favorite thing to do before this place went to shit was closing up the shop. My dad and I always closed up together and when we closed up we used to sit up in the office because it always had ac on or the heater depending on the season. My dad and I, we used just sit up there after closing and talk. We would stay up until midnight sometimes just drinking piss ass warm beer and talking about anything and everything. That was my favorite thing to do before the walkers."

"That's nice." Amy says, repeating his early words. Eli smiles and nods. "How my girlfriends did you have before this?" Eli's face turns red as he looks at Amy.

"W-What?"

"Oh, come on, you heard me. How my girlfriends did you have before the world went to shit?"

"None." Amy's eyes widen as she looks at Eli.

"None?"

"At my school, you got girls who either were whores or girls who thought they were too good for the Dixons. I didn't fuck whores, so..."

"Wait are you saying you're a virgin?" Eli swallows and looks away from Amy, his face turning even redder. All the blood rushed to his face leaving no a trance of pale skin. "Holy shit." Eli clears his throat.

"What about you?"

"I had one or two." Amy shrugs. "None of them really matters now. They were city boys."

"So?"

"So, compared to you they were children." Eli raises an eyebrow.

"You just learned I was a virgin. I doubt I'm much of a competition."

"Oh, trust me, Eli, you are. I don't even have to have sex with you to get..." Eli glances over at her.

"What?"

"Uh, nothing."

"Amy."

"It's just... look city boys are all the same. Skinny, weak, pathetic losers who think they're so hot and sexy, but you're..." Eli raises his eyebrow again.

"I'm?"

"Well, you don't have to think because you are. I mean, have you looked at yourself? You got the whole sexy rugged redneck down. Those city boys had to take drugs to get muscles that you have." Eli shifts and looks over at her.

"So, you aren't a virgin?" Amy blushes.

"No. My first boyfriend, can't really even call him that, but he was the popular football player in my school. Tyler Lawson. All the girls wanted him, but he asked me out. He's the type of guy that expects you to put out on the first date."

"Really?"

"Yeah and I didn't want him to think I was some loser, so I let him pressure me into it." Eli frowns as Amy shrugs, trying to act like it didn't mean anything. "Next day the whole school knew. Called me a whore for the rest of my high school career, which is why I only had two boyfriends. One from high school and one from the college I was going to before all this."

"So you had a boyfriend before this?"

"Broke up a week before this happened. Funny, huh? Perfect timing if you asked me. Found him sleeping with my roommate. A city boy too. You're not a city boy and I thought it was time to try something different after all rednecks are supposed to be tough and dangerous, but from what I've noticed it's the city boys that are cruel." Eli hums in response, not knowing what to say. "Anyways, it's my turn to ask a question, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Eli nods.

"Cool..." Amy smiles. "Want a blow job?" Eli's eyes go wide as he looks at Amy in shock.

"What?" Amy grins.

"Do. You. Want. A. Blow. Job." She says slowly, sitting extremely close to him and whispering right in his ear. Eli swallows.

"Yes." Amy moves away then and leans against the door and motions for Eli to continue. "Wait, what?"

"It's your turn."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I asked, now you."

"Y-you.. You can't just..." Eli stares at her totally flabbergasted. "You can't just ask me if I want a blow job and then move on. That... That shit just don't happen. You can't get me all worked up for nothing." Amy shrugs, trying not to smile.

"It's your turn to ask." Eli stares at her before understanding comes over his face. "Well?"

"Do you want to give me a blow job?" Amy smiles as she looks at him.

"Hmm, let me think."

"Amy." She just grins at his annoyed tone. "Seriously?" She taps her chin in mock thought, causing him to glare at her. "You're a bitch."

"Shut up, I'm thinking." She says, waving him off. "Let's see... Hmm..." She cocks her head to the side, biting her lip in thought. "Do I, Amy Harrison, want to give Elijah Dixon a blow job? Hmm?" Eli glares daggers at her as she fights the urge to smile. "Hmm, such a tough decision."

"Fuck you." Eli growls as he stares at the road in front him. "Forget it, you're such a fucken bitch." Amy grins at him, but he ignores her.

As he stares at the road in front of him, he doesn't notice Amy had moved closer. He practically jumps out of his seat as he hears the zip of his jeans. He has to push on the breaks to not go right into his uncle and cousin up ahead of him when he pushed on the gas. Dean glances back with a confused look, but Eli just shrugs, trying to act normal. "Fuck Amy, you're gonna get us killed." Eli says, but Amy just grins at him.

"Relax, Eli, just relax." She runs a hand down Eli's chest, causing him to sigh. He leans back in his seat and allows Amy to pull jeans down a bit. She pulls his boxers back, causing his breathing to pick up. Amy pulls him out and stares.

"What?" Eli asks as he glances down at her.

"Nothing." Insecurity and anxiety slip in Eli then.

"What? Is it not as good a city boys or-"

"Are you kidding?" Amy asks, glancing up at him. "I didn't even know they got this big." Eli's face turns bright red as Amy looks down. "Like holy shit, does your entire family have such good genes?"

"How the fuck should I know? I don't look at my cousin's dick."

"Sorry, it's just..." Amy blushes. "I have no idea if this is actually going to fit in my mouth." Eli swallows and looks away, totally embarrassed.

"You know you don't actually have to give me a blow job, right?"

"Are you kidding? This is like... Fuck, this like totally perfect, I mean, guys dream to have a dick this amazing. There's no way in hell that I'm passing this up." Eli shifts in his seat and tries to breathe, but it's really hard when a girl is talking about your dick to you. Amy snickers at Eli's expression and looks back down at the dick. "Hmm, well, I'm up for a challenge." She leans down, licking the tip, causing Eli's breathe to rush out of him.

"Fuck." Eli pants.

"Feel good?"

"Yes." Amy takes him in, causing Eli to groan. "Fuck, Amy," He pants, his hands tightening on his wheel. He tries to keep his foot steady as she begins to bob her head. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, goddamn it Amy." He whimpers as she runs her tongue under him as she pulls off. "Amy." He whimpers as she releases him with a pop.

"Relax, Eli, I'm not done." She rubs his thigh as she kisses him. He kisses her back before she pulls away and returns to between his legs. "Can you spread your legs some more." He nods and moves his left leg some, giving her more access. She lifts him up more and leans back down. She pulls him back in, causing him to throw his head back and groan.

"Fuck, Amy." She runs her teeth across him as she pumps him in and out of her mouth. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He is a whimpering mess, but he doesn't even care. He probably sounds like a bitch in heat, but all he cares about at the moment is Amy's wicked mouth on him. He thrusts up, unable to stop himself. He hears her choke on him, causing him to grimace. "Sorry, sorry, shit, sorry."

"It's fine, just surprised me." She says as she wipes the tears from her face.

"Fuck, you're crying, shit I'm so sorry. Fuck, I didn't mean to-"

"Eli, relax." She rubs his thigh. "It's okay, it's your first time getting a blow job. You just surprised me, you didn't hurt me. Just my gag reflex. Relax, okay, just relax." He nods and she pulls him back in and takes him as deep as she can, hollowing her cheeks to do so. Eli bites his lips as he feels her hot mouth surrounding him. Amy uses her hands to massage Eli's balls, causing him to bite harder down on his lip, tasting blood flowing into his mouth, but he didn't care about that at the moment. He swallows the sickening metallic blood and focused on Amy going down on him.

"Fuck, Amy." He whines as she squeezes his balls lightly. "Shit, you keep doing that and I'm going to lose it."

"Mm." She moans, causing Eli to gasp as the sound vibrates him all the way up to his ball.

"Shit." He throws his head back, hitting the back window, thrusting up as he comes. He doesn't care about the blood in his mouth, the throbbing pain in his head, or his split lip. He only cares about the feeling in his stomach. His body shakes as he falls over the edge and Amy sucks and licks, trying to get it all, swallowing as much as she can. Some run down his chin as she pulls off him once he finishes. She licks her lips and wipes her face.

"Shit, you taste good." She says, licking her lips some more. "Salty and sweat." She smiles before seeing his lip. "Shit, Eli, what the hell did you do to your lip?" She moves and looks at it to see a deep cut in it. "Did you bite it?"

"I'm fine." He tells her. "It's fine. Honestly, I could give less than a fuck about my lip."

"It's bleeding."

"Don't care." Amy laughs and rubs his thigh again.

"Did it feel good?" He nods as he looks at her.

"Uh huh." She grins.

"Want me to do it again some other time."

"Yes." She smiles and puts him back into his boxers and help him pull his jeans back up and zip him up. "I want to help you." He says. "It's not far I got that and you didn't get anything."

"Eli, trust me, I got something out of that." He rolls his eyes.

"Yes, but you didn't get to come." She shrugs.

"Then make me come." He looks over at her and then forward.

"But I'm driving." He whines.

"You still got a free hand." She unzips her jeans and grabs his hand.

"I-I don't know what I'm doing?"

"Don't worry, I'll show you." She slips his hand into her pants and brings his fingers inside her. "This is my clit, it's sensitive like your balls or the tip of your dick."

"So if I..." She moans as he rubs it.

"Yeah, yeah, that would definitely make me feel good."

"What else?"

"Just follow my motions." She moves his fingers in and out of her, while she has him rubbing her clit. "It's simple, just, just keep doing that." He nods as he gnaws on his lip in concentration, trying to get it right.

"Like this?" Amy nods as she leans back, her breathing now heavy.

"Yeah, yeah like that Eli." He thrusts his fingers in and out of her, rubbing her clit with his thumb. "Shit." She pants as Eli squeezes her clit between his thumb and forefinger.

"Shit, you're soaked." Eli groans as Amy pushes her jeans and underwear down more, so her ass was on the seat. Eli thrusts in and out of her, while rubbing her clit and soon she's climaxing.

"Eli!" She moans, throwing her head back. Her body shakes from it as Eli looks over at her.

"Dean is going to kill us." Amy looks up at him, still breathing heavily.

"Why?"

"Because you got come all over his seat."


	13. Chapter 13

When night comes the group settles down to eat some beans and meat from squirrels that Daryl could catch. Eli is sitting by the fire, Amy sitting between his legs. It's quiet as everyone is too tired to talk. "Elijah!" Everyone turns as they hear Dean shouting from where he was by his truck. He had gone to grab his sweatshirt, which was behind the seat. "Elijah! I'm gonna fucken kill you!" Amy and Eli look at each other, already knowing what Dean found.

"What did you do now?" Daryl asks, causing Eli to give a shy grin.

"Nothing."

"Eli, that don't sound like nothing." Eli shrugs as Dean stomps over.

"You're fucken dead Elijah fucken Samuel fucken Dixon!"

"I don't think I have any fuckens in my name." Eli says, which only makes Dean growl as he grabs him by the shirt and pulls him up.

"Dean, stop." Amy says, but Merle shakes his head.

"He won't kill him, Amy and whatever the fucker did he probably deserved it." Amy looks at Daryl, but just motions for her to sit.

"I didn't do anything, Dean." Eli says, which causes Dean to shake with anger.

"You didn't do anything? You didn't fucken do anything?! There's fucken come stains on my fucken seat!" Everyone stares at Amy, who buries her face behind her hair and in her hands as her face turns tomato red.

"Well, I mean, it's the first time those stains-"

"I'm going to fucken kill you." Dean punches Eli, causing him to go stumbling and fall on his ass.

"Ow." Eli whines.

"You are a fucken... I... You think I'm disgusting? I.. I'm going to kill you." Merle and Daryl got up and stepped in between. Daryl helps Eli up, while Merle pushes Dean back.

"That's enough. Dean, I'll help you clean the seats, Eli, there's no way in hell we're letting you drive Dean's truck again." Eli just grins as Dean snarls like a bull reading to charge.

"Stop pissing him off." Daryl says as he pulls Eli up. "And go fucken help him."

"What I wasn't the one that stained his seats." Amy jaw drops before she is hitting Eli upside the head. "Ow, Amy! Why is everyone hitting me?"

"Because you deserved it." Amy says as she shoots him a glare. Dean eyes over Amy.

"No wonder it smells fucken amazing."

"You smelled it? Yeah, I more disgusting." Eli says sarcastically.

"What? I had to make sure." Carol is watching them in shock as Andrea is trying to decide between laughing or cringing. Sophia is just watching confused.

"Just go." Daryl says, causing Eli to throw his head back and groan, the same groan he made when Amy gave him the blow job. Her face turns red at the reminder.

Eli stomps off with Merle and Dean as Daryl sits down by the fire. "You and I are so having a talk." Andrea says as she stands up.

"Oh, come on, Andrea, seriously?" Andrea drags Amy off and turns to her, arms crossed. "Look, don't bother with the whole 'Dixons are dangerous, disgusting, trash' because if you say that-"

"Why would I say that? Why would I think that? I'm going with them instead of the other group aren't I?" Amy frowns.

"Then why are you upset?"

"I'm upset because you didn't fill me in. What was it like? Come on, we're sisters, you're supposed to tell me these things."

"You... You want me to tell you what happened?"

"Duh. Why, you thought you were in trouble?"

"Kind of..."

"You're only in trouble for not telling me the details. Come on, what happened?"

"Nothing really."

"Bullshit."

"I gave him a blow job." Andrea stares at Amy with wide eyes.

"Really?"

"Maybe..."

"Well?" Amy blushes.

"He was big."

"Big."

"And thick."

"I wonder if it runs in the family?" Andrea's eyes falls on Merle who is bitching at Dean from the truck.

"I asked."

"You asked?" Amy giggles and nods.

"Eli says he doesn't take the time to look at his cousin's dick, he didn't mention his father's and uncle's, but I figured it's the same response." Andrea laughs and looks at Amy.

"So the come..."

"Yeah, he uh, he helped me afterwards..."

"And?" Amy shrugs.

"Believe it or not, Eli's a virgin."

"No way." Amy looks at Andrea.

"Not lying. He is. The only thing that ever touched him is his own hands."

"Wow, never thought that'd be true."

"Mhm. He didn't really know what to do. I never had that before. I mean, all the guys I've been with knew what they were doing. He's kind of a novice and totally innocent. I had to help him and teach him how to do it." Andrea's eyes were wide. "What?" Amy turns and sees Eli standing there, causing her own eyes to wide. "Eli-" Eli glares at Amy.

"A novice?"

"Eli, look, I didn't-"

"Save it." He pushes past her and stomps off.

"You could have warned me?!" Amy snaps.

"I didn't see him until you already said too much."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Amy, you just called him a novice that you had to teach to fuck you."

"I... I.." Amy bites her lip.

"Hey, Eli..." Dean trails off as Eli stomps off. Dean glances over at them. "What the fuck did you do?" Amy could feel tears building.

"Eli, wait-"

"I think you said enough." Dean snaps before heading off after his cousin.

"Let him cool down." Merle says to her. "Dixons have bad tempers, if you tried to talk to him now you'd only piss him off more."

Eli hops onto the tailgate of his dad's truck and frowns. "What'd she say?" Dean asks as he hops up beside him.

"Nothing."

"Come on, Eli, what did she say?" Dean nudges Eli, causing the younger to sigh.

"Called me a fucken novice?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yup." Dean glares at the ground.

"Fuck her. It's not your fault your a virgin."

"She called me innocent and told Andrea that I had no idea what I was doing." Dean shakes his head.

"That's cold. Damn, the bitch probably killed your ego."

"Yeah, by a lot."

"You need to teach that bitch a lesson." Eli frowns and looks down, picking a hole in his jeans with his finger. "Eli, look, those girls at schools were whore and I understand why you didn't wanna fuck them. I do. You're the sweet one. You want a relationship and all that other pussy shit. I get it. It's not your fault no good girl came around. It's not your fault that you're a virgin that don't know shit."

"She's right. I'm a novice." Dean rolls his eyes.

"She's a bitch that needs to learn." Eli raises an eyebrow as he looks over at Dean. "Us Dixons are terrible in a lot of things. Manners, sexism, racism, keeping our tempers in check, but there is one thing that no Dixons are bad at and that's sex."

"I think Amy says otherwise."

"You just need to learn, Eli and I'm going to teach you." Eli raises an eyebrow.

"Teach me?"

"Yup, I'm going to teach you how to please a woman and when I do you're going to teach Amy a lesson that she will never forget. By the time I'm done with you, you'll have Amy screaming your name to the high heavens."

"You still pissed about the seats?"

"Don't remind me, Elijah. Right now isn't the time for that. It's time to teach you. Sex 101, class is in secession."


	14. Chapter 14

**Took me awhile to write this chapter. I want more Carol and Daryl scenes, so I redid this chapter a few times to make it just right. More Caryl in the next chapter. Warning for this chapter, it contains mature content, don't like then skip over the breakers.**

* * *

When morning comes Eli is getting his bike ready to ride when Amy starts over. "Hey, Eli, can we talk?" Eli ignores her as he straddles his bike and starts it. Amy tries to get on, but Eli moves back to keep her from getting on.

"You're not riding with me." Eli tells her. "Just go ride with Dean or something." He drives ahead, leaving Amy standing there. Carol watches with a frown as Daryl hops into his truck. Andrea gets on the bike with Merle, while Sophia and Amy ride with Dean.

"Is Eli okay?" Carol asks, causing Daryl to look over at her. "He seems upset."

"He'll be okay. Something tells me that him and Dean are working on something."

"How do you know?" Carol asks him.

"I know my son. He's up to something."

"Should we warn Amy?"

"Nah, it'll be harmless."

"She shouldn't have said what she did." Carol admits as they ride down the road.

"Mm."

"Do you think Eli will be okay?"

"He will be fine."

"Are you sure? He's still a kid and..." She stops when she sees Daryl's look.

"He's nineteen, not five. He doesn't need to be treated like a kid."

"He's a good kid, Daryl-"

"And I'm not saying he isn't. He's my son." She frowns at Daryl.

"I know that, Daryl." She says softly. "But he's still a young kid. I know he's been through a lot. I can see it. Sometimes he needs a gentle hand." She whispers.

"You mean a mother." Carol looks over at Daryl as he says that.

"I didn't mean to imply-"

"I know." Daryl sighs as he looks out the window. "I know."

* * *

When night falls Eli hadn't talked to Amy all day. Mostly because they haven't stopped all day. Whey they do stop Eli and Dean are in the woods before Amy can even get out of the truck. The two cousins collect enough wood for the fire that night and a string of squirrels. When they arrive the others had already made up their sleeping places.

"Eli." He ignores Amy as he works on making the fire, while Dean works on skinning the squirrels and Carol starts on dinner.

"I'm going to do a quick sweep." Eli says before walking off. They are on the highway where a few cars are scattered. Eli walks the area to make sure no walkers are in the area.

Amy walks in the direction she saw Eli walk off to, but as she walks she finds no sign of him. "Eli? Eli, where are you? Can we talk? Eli?" She gasps as she is suddenly pushed against one of the cars. She can't see who's behind her, causing her heart to race in her chest.

"You talk way too much." Amy can't help but shiver as she hears Eli's husky's voice in her ear.

"Eli." She whispers.

"You really need to learn a lesson on how to keep your mouth shut." He whispers in her ear, his hot breath blowing on her ear and neck.

"Eli, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." She gasps as she feels Eli's calloused hand laying like a burning piece of coal on her stomach. "Eli."

"You need to be taught a lesson." Amy gasps as Eli started undoing her jeans.

-Breaker-

"Eli."

"Bad girls get punished." Amy shivers both in anticipation and a tiny bit of fear. She has never seen this side of Eli and it was turning her on.

"You're right, I need to be punished." She whispers, causing Eli to smirk. He pushes her jeans down, causing her to gasp at the cold air hitting her bottom. Eli holds her hand above her head with one hand, while the other works on his belt.

"Move." Eli leads her away from the car and forces her onto her hands and knees. "You need to learn a lesson on how to respect people." He whispers in her ear. "Bad girls get punished." Amy gasps as Eli hits her ass.

"Eli." She moans both in pleasure and pain. He hits her again, harder this time, causing her to groan. Her breathy gasps fill the night air as Eli slaps her ass cheeks red. "Mm, I'm sorry, Elijah." Eli smirk comes to his lips as he hears her moan. He can see her face turn red, but he talks before she can.

"You still need to learn, baby." He whispers in her ear before pushing his jeans down and pushing into her. He groans as he heat surrounds him. He begins to thrusts into her mercilessly. She moans, her nails digging into the pavement. He pulls her butt up more and grunts as he thrusts harder.

"Eli!" She moans at the sudden change. At this angle, his thrusts go deeper. Eli grunts as her hips move back in time with his thrusts. Eli pulls out, drawing out a low whine from Amy. He stands them back up and bends her over the hood of the car. He kicks her feet apart and pushes back in. He returns to his ruthless pace and Amy cries out in pleasure, her hands fisted, her nails digging into the palms of her hand. "Elijah!" Eli grunts and pulls out again. He finally flips her around and puts her on the hood of the car. He pulls her legs up to rest on his shoulder as he dives back in. "ELIJAH!" Eli grunts as he pushes as far in as he can before allowing release. He groans, his eyes rolling back as his body shakes from his climax. Amy moans his name as she climaxes right after him.

-Breaker-

It takes a minute before Eli can pull out and move back. He feels shaky all over and is breathing heavily. A heavy silence forms between them before Amy broke it. "I'm sorry." His blue eyes are dark and when they meet hers, Amy can't help but shiver at the heated look in them. "I sometimes don't think before I speak. I never meant to hurt your feelings, Eli." She pulls him towards her and he allows her to. "And trust me, you defiantly are the best I've ever had." She whispers before kissing him. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her back. "But if I do something stupid, just teach me a lesson." She whispers in his ear. "Because I rather like you punishing me." Eli chuckles and buries his face in her neck.

"We should get back before they think I murdered you." Amy laughs and kisses his temple.

"Orrrr... we could do that again." Eli lifts his head and looks at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Or we can do that again."


	15. Chapter 15

Carol leans against Daryl's truck as she watches the group. She found them so strange at times. Just yesterday Eli had been ignoring Amy and acted as if he hated her, today, however, he barely could his hands off her. Amy was currently giggling as she leaned against Eli, his arms around her and his mouth by her ear, no doubt whispering undecent things. Dean was with Sophia. Sophia sat on the hood of Dean's truck listening to Dean's crazy and inappropriate stories, but Carol didn't have the heart to make Dean stop because Sophia looks like she was really enjoying listening to Dean. Andrea was standing beside Merle, snapping and arguing with him again. Those two were always at each other's throats, but what Carol saw in their eyes told her clearly that it's just sexual tension that is building up. Carol's eyes scan the group, but she couldn't find Daryl.

"Looking for me?" Carol jumps before turning and seeing Daryl standing behind her. He had his crossbow on his back and is dressed in another sleeveless shirt. Carol's eyes scan over Daryl shamefully. Taking in his strong muscular arms, which Carol just wants to have wrap around her, and his long toned legs that his jeans shape too almost sinfully. His shirt hugged his muscular shirt, causing heat to fill Carol. She just wants to rip that shirt off him and attack him. Daryl clears his throat, causing her eyes to snap up to his. Her face turns red at having been caught staring. She didn't know when she started looking at Daryl this way, but she couldn't stop it. They both had kids to worry about, but Carol's only worry was how to get Daryl out of those clothes. He was forty-three for heaven sakes and she was fifty-two! He was a good nine years younger. She shouldn't be having these thoughts, but something told her Daryl could make her feel ten times better than Ed ever did. "Carol."

Carol took a step forward, while Daryl stayed rooted to the spot, staring her down as she stared up at him with darkened blue eyes that showed everything she was feeling. Daryl swallows the lump in his throat as he looks at Carol's eyes. It wasn't the first time a woman looked at Daryl with such desire and heat, but Carol wasn't just any woman. This was a woman who had been beaten half her life and only now gotten away. She has a young daughter too that they both need to be thinking about. Sophia seems happy away from Ed, but he still was her father. Daryl doubted she'd like to hear how her mother was looking at Daryl.

When she was right in front of him both their hearts were pounding. She looks up at him, her fingers moving towards him, but Daryl caught her hand just before it could touch him. "Carol." Embarrassment, humility, and regret fill Carol's eyes, but before she could pull away Daryl's hand tighten on hers. "You're kid's right over there." Daryl's voice is rougher than usual and there was no doubt in Daryl's mind that Carol saw the look in his eyes. He wants her too. He shouldn't. Carol has been through so much and she needs a good man to be there for her and her daughter not some broken man. Daryl was a good father, but he was broken. He knew this and he knew Carol deserves so much more than him. Dixons are bastards and Carol doesn't need another one of those. She deserves better.

"Do you want me?" Daryl's eyes went wide as he stares at her as if she grew a second head.

"W-What?" Daryl stuttered out, totally in shock at what she just asked.

Carol, taking that as a good side, pulls her hand of Daryl's sudden loose grip and slips her hand under his shirt. "Do you want me?" She stares up at Daryl behind long lashes. Daryl shivers as her hand reaches up to his nipples. His breathing is heavier as he stares down at her. "Do you want me, Daryl?" She's so close. Too close. She's in his space. He should be freaking out, but instead he steps closer to her.

"Yes."

"Hey, Darylina, get your ass over here and look at this map. I need to figure out how far from Drewberry that we are." Daryl swallows and moves away from Carol, their eyes staying on each other before Daryl has to turn to move beside Merle.

"We're here." Daryl says, pointing down at the map. "Drewberry is there. It's still another couple hours out. If we push we can get there after the sun sets, but if the place got taken over then it might be best to wait until morning to go into the town and to the cabin." Daryl looks up to see Merle staring at him. "What?!" Merle grins, his eyes shooting from Carol to Daryl.

"Nothing, Darylina." Daryl growls. "I agree. We'll drive until we're three miles out from the town and camp there. When morning comes we'll go into the town and head to the cabin." Merle agrees. "Let's move out." Everyone started heading to the vehicles, but Merle caught Carol before she could leave. "Go easy on my brother, he's not as flexible as he used to be." Carol's eyes went wide as her cheeks turned red. Merle gave her a wolfish grin before walking towards his bike.

"Merle." Merle turns and raises an eyebrow at Carol. She makes her way towards him. "Your brother."

"Mmm?" Merle grins.

"He's plenty flexible." Merle's eyes widen as Carol gave him a grin before walking away. Merle's barking laughter followed her as she hopped into Daryl's truck.

"What the fuck is he laughing about?" Daryl asks as he got in.

"Nothing." Carol grins. Daryl gives her a look, but she just smiles. "Are we going?"

"Yeah... yeah, we're heading." Daryl starts the truck up, giving her side way looks before taking off down the road. "About before-"

"I can wait until we get the cabin." Daryl looks at Carol taken aback.

"Carol-" Carol looks at him and gives a serious look.

"You already said it, Daryl, you can't take it back."

"It ain't that easy, Carol. Sophia-"

"Is already part of the family or haven't you noticed? Your son and Dean seem to have taken her in as their own." Daryl frowns.

"They always wanted a little sister, instead Dean got stuck with Colt who is as much Eli's brother as Dean's."

"You can't take back what you said and when we get to the cabin you're going through with it." Daryl looks at Carol with a frown.

"When the fuck did you start barking orders?" Carol frown and looks down at her jeans.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Her voice is quiet and small, the voice she'd use with Ed.

"You didn't." Her eyes lift and Daryl gives her a small smile. "I like the change... Just getting used to it."

"Well there's plenty to get used to when we get to the cabin." Daryl groans and throws his head back.

"You're going to kill me."


	16. Chapter 16

Dean huffs as he leans against his truck. They have made camp for the night, his father already got a fire going, but Dean stays away from the inviting fire. His eyes stay on Eli and Amy who are whispering things to each other and laughing. Dean tries to fight back the spark of jealousy, but it is stuck like a lump in his throat, unable to swallow it. He's happy for Eli. Eli has been through enough and he deserves to have someone to make him happy, but apart of Dean wished he could have what Eli had. Eli might have been through a lot, but he always had it easier. Sure Eli's mom was a bitch and his dad could be touchy at times, but Eli had a good life. Dean had it harder. He had a dad who was a recovering drug addict, a mother who only was nice to him when she wanted to fuck his dad, and since he was old enough to walk Dean had to take care of himself. His dad was always too high to raise him. Daryl helped, but no one really knew how hard it was for Dean. He loves his dad, but it was only when Colt was born that Merle cleaned up, took responsibility, and actually acted like a parent. By then, however, Dean was eight and he didn't need Merle as much. Dean didn't hate his father for it, but some days he does wish his life could have been easier.

"You coming to eat kid?" Dean's eyes move away from the happy couple to his father who stood by him, looking at him with concern that always catches Dean off guard. His father isn't the comforting and loving type, neither is Daryl, but Daryl still shows his love for Eli. Dean tends to be caught off guard when his dad does it.

"Kid?" Dean questions. "You haven't called me that in a long time." Merle frowns and moves to stand beside him, his arm brushing Dean's.

"You okay?" Dean swallows the lump in his throat and forces a smile.

"Why wouldn't I be, old man?" He motions to Eli and Amy. "Seems we best keep an eye on Elianna. I mean, I think you can figure out what those two have been doing or rather what they were doing. Don't need another Dixon running around." Merle doesn't laugh at Dean's joke or even smile. Instead, he stares at Dean with worry. "What?"

"Dean, you don't think I know you? You're my son. What's bothering you?" Dean rolls his eyes and looks at the fire.

"Doesn't feel like it." Merle freezes beside Dean and Dean's eyes widen as he realizes what he just said. "Dad-"

"Is that how you feel?"

"Dad, look-"

"I get it, Dean, I fucked up, but you know I'm trying to make up for it." Merle moves and stands in front of him, keeping his voice low so the others don't hear. "I'm a terrible parent, I know, okay and you know I never meant what happened." Dean feels the familiar sick feeling come over him whenever he thinks about that night.

"Dad-"

"I'm sorry, Dean, I am." Merle whispers. "I fucked up, okay? I know I can't undo what happened, but I'm trying to make up for it. I really am." Merle's voice cracks near the end, causing Dean to look away as he feels the burning feeling of tears in his eyes.

"I know." Dean whispers.

"Dean..." Merle sighs and shakes his head before clearing his throat. "We'll be home tomorrow and you'll get to see Colton again. I'm sure you miss him."

"Dad..." Dean sighs and looks at his dad. Merle waits for Dean to continue, letting Dean get his thoughts in order. "I'm sorry too." Merle shakes his head, putting a hand on Dean's cheek.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Dean. You should get some sleep. We're leaving early in the morning." Dean nods as Merle looks at him for a moment before leaning forward and kissing his forehead. Dean's eyes widen in surprise. "I love you, buddy, okay?" Dean looks at his dad, unable to speak past his shock. "Get some sleep." Merle starts back for the fire, but Dean's voice stops him.

"D-dad." Merle turns and looks back at Dean. "I love you too." Merle smiles before rolling his eyes.

"Get some sleep, pussy." Dean laughs and nod.

"Sure thing, old man." He's relieved that the mushy crap was gone. He's not used to Merle being so mushy. Dean feels much more comfortable when his dad acts like this.

Dean sighs and makes his way to the fire. Eli looks up when Dean makes his way over. "Hey, thought you'd be jacking off all night." Dean laughs.

"Why, you wanna watch?" Eli glares at Dean and slaps him in the back of the head. "Ow, bastard."

"Shut up, faggot."

"Cocksucker." Dean says, causing Eli to try to hit him again, but Dean blocks. Daryl and Merle roll their eyes as Dean and Eli stand up and get into fighting stances, but before either of them can take a swing Sophia walks over and slaps both of them. Everyone stares at her in surprise.

"Stop being a bunch of children." Sophia says as she stands between the two of them. "Now be good boys and sit at the fire, shut the hell up, and let me get some sleep." Dean bursts into laughter as Eli shakes his head.

"You best watch that mouth of yours, Soph." Sophia turns to Eli to give him a piece of her mind, but he grabs her and throws her over his shoulder before she can.

"Eli!" Sophia cries out in a fit of giggles. "Put me down!" Dean laughs as Eli does, but starts tickling her. "No! Eli!" She cries as she tries to squirm away. "Daddy!" Dean and Eli both stop in shock, but before anyone could react Sophia squirms away and right onto Daryl's lap. No one says anything as Sophia clings to Daryl, laughing still from her giggles. "Protect me." No one knows what to say, but Eli can see how shock his dad is, so he decides to break the tension.

"Suck up." Eli says, causing Dean to laugh.

"Yeah, everyone knows only pussies run to Uncle Daryl." Dean agrees. As if Sophia hadn't given them enough surprises, she raises her hand and flips them off.

"Sophia." Carol says in shock as Andrea laughs with Amy and Merle.

"I love this kid." Merle laughs.

"You shouldn't do that." Carol scowls as she takes Sophia away from Daryl, or tries to.

"Dean does it."

"Even more reason not to." Amy says, causing Dean to give her a look.

"Hey, I'm as fucken amazing as Mary fucken Poppins." Dean says, causing Sophia to burst into laughter.

"Okay, I think that's enough excitement for tonight." Andrea says. "We should get some sleep." Everyone agrees and soon everyone is laying by the fire sleeping. Daryl stands on watch with Merle.

"She called you daddy." Merle points out.

"I know."

"Blame Eli and Dean."

"Why?"

"She asked them if it'd be weird for her to be joining them on a family trip and they told her that she could just call Eli her big brother and Dean her fucked up cousin. Probably figures if Eli is her brother then you're her dad." Daryl nods. "But I'm sure that doesn't bother you. You love kids. It's the woman that's troubling you, right, baby brother?" Daryl doesn't say anything as he holds tighter to his crossbow.

"You can handle watch on your own. I'm gonna catch some sleep."

"Don't have any wet dreams. That woman is like a cat in heat right now. Probably could smell you jacking it. Be like a cat to milk." Daryl's face turns bright red and he shoots Merle a glare before heading back towards the fire.

Merle chuckles, but soon he is frowning, his mind drifting back to his conversation with Dean.


	17. Chapter 17

Merle is packing up his things when Andrea walks over. "You ready to go?" She asks, causing him to nod. He doesn't bother to look at her as he gets onto the bike. His mind is still on his conversation with Dean. "You okay? You seem quiet?" Merle glances over as he hears Andrea.

"Fine, come on." Andrea rolls her eyes and gets onto the bike behind him.

"You know it doesn't make you a pussy to talk about your feelings to someone." Merle snorts as he starts the bike.

"No, it makes you a bitching woman." Andrea glares at him, but he just smirks before taking off. Andrea, quickly grabs onto Merle, not expecting him to suddenly take off like that. Merle's body shook with silent laughter.

"Bastard." Andrea hisses into his ear, but he just smiles. His smile falls quickly as his mind returns back to Dean. He'll never be able to undo what happened and Merle always feels so sick with the knowledge of that. No matter what he does now, what happened in the past will forever be there. What happened to Dean won't change. Merle swallows the lump in his throat as the familiar feeling of disgust fill his throat like a thick bile, threatening to make Merle puke. Just thinking about what happened to Dean makes him want to puke. Hell, when Merle found out he did puke. Merle will never forget what happened and he'll never forgive himself for taking so long to notice.

 _"Daddy, why do you let her do that to me?"_

Merle squeezes his eyes shut as he hears Dean's little voice as clear as if he had said it just a minute ago. He'll never forget the look on Dean's face. The fear, the heartbreak, the disappointment. Merle opens his eyes and fights back the second wave of disgust. He tries to get his mind off it, but since last night all he can think about was that night. How could he have been so blind to not see what was going on? He was a terrible father. It's no wonder Dean never comes to him for his problems. If Dean has a problem he always goes to Daryl. Merle doesn't blame Dean. Daryl is ten times the father than Merle will ever be.

 _"Daddy, please make her stop."_

Merle tightens his grip on his bike as he fights back the memories. "Hey, are you okay?" Andrea's voice cuts through the thick memories. "You're tense." Andrea whispers. "Do you want to stop?" Merle swallows and shakes his head.

"I'm fine." His voice is deep and heavy with emotions. It makes him want to scream in frustration. Nothing ever gets to Merle. Nothing. Nothing except that one memory. That one thing that happened to his baby boy. It's the only thing that can bother Merle Dixon. "I'm fine." Merle repeats, more for himself than for Andrea.

"Okay..." Andrea says, sounding as unsure as Merle. "How much farther?" Merle glances around them as she asks. They were in the town now. It seems pretty deserted, but Merle didn't want to test it until they get settled at the cabin.

"Close." Merle tells her over the roar of the bike. The two fall silent again as they drive. It isn't long before they drive out of the town.

"I thought your place is in Drewberry?"

"Just outside." Merle tells her before pulling up onto a dirt road. He hears the other following behind him. They drive up the dirt road awhile before coming to a tall steel gate. Merle waits on the bike as Daryl gets out of his truck. He unlocks the gate, opening it up and letting everyone drive through before closing it after them. He gets back into his truck and the group heads further up the road. They past tree after tree before finally a cabin comes to view. It was nothing like Andrea expected. She had expected some small hunting cabin, but this was no such thing. The cabin was huge, at least three floors, the two top floors had wrap-around decks to walk out on, and it was made completely out of logs.

"Wow." Andrea whispers as she gets off the bike. Merle didn't even get both feet back on the ground before the front door of the cabin slams open.

"Dad!" All eyes lift to see a boy running across the yard. He looked to be only fifteen, but already you could see the muscles starting on the boy. He's tall too and his dark hair was a complete mess of curls. When he gets close enough to Merle he lunges himself right into his arms. Merle stumbles, but remains standing as he wraps his arms around the young boy.

"Hey, Colt." Merle smiles as he holds the kid in his arms, ruffling his messy curls up even more.

"Mom said you weren't coming." Merle's smile falls right off his face, his eyes moving to the doorway of the cabin where he sees Colton's mother standing. She has a smile on her face, but Merle can see the disgust and hatred in her eyes.

"You know I'd always come for you, kiddo." Merle whispers to Colt, kissing the top of his head.

"I don't get a hug?" Colt pulls away and smiles up at his brother.

"Dean!" Colt jumps onto Dean next, who laughs and holds Colt as if he might fade away. Merle wasn't the only one going back to those bad memories.

"I missed you too, kid." Dean smiles. Colt smiles at Dean before pulling away and hugging Eli next.

"Hey, Colton." Eli grins down at the boy.

"You're late." Colt tells them as he hugs Daryl next. "You were supposed to be here a month ago."

"Got a little side tracked." Daryl tells him, causing Colt to scowl.

"Side track my ass."

"Language." All eyes turn as Liz Samuel walks over. Her blonde hair was a total mess and her clothes were wrinkly and dirty, but that was nothing new when it came to Liz Samuels.

"Sorry." Colt mumbles and anyone could feel the tension in the air.

"How about you make yourself useful and help your father bring in his things." Liz says, causing Merle to shoot her look.

"Actually, Colt I was thinking you could Sophia around. She'd probably like to see the animals." Merle says, causing Colt to nod.

"Yeah sure, come on." He says as he starts off.

"Go on, he's harmless." Eli says, nudging the small body girl.

"He's a boy. My mama says boys aren't harmless." Dean snickers as Eli rolls his eyes.

"Tell you what, Colt tries anything and you tell me. I'll deal with it." Eli promises.

"Okay."

"You coming or what?" Colt calls, causing Sophia to nod before running to catch up with him. The second they were gone around the other side of the house Merle turns to Liz.

"You best watch how you speak to my boy, Liz."

"He's my son too-"

"Don't give a shit. Watch your tone." Merle growls before grabbing his things. Dean shoots Liz a glare before allowing Eli to lead him off to his truck to grab their things. Liz glares at both Dean and Merle before turning and starting back into the house, not bothering to offer any help.

"She is a real charmer." Andrea said, causing Merle to snort.

"A snake charmer maybe." He says as he grabs his things.

"So she's Colt's mom?" Merle frowns and hands Andrea her things.

"Yeah."

"He doesn't look like her."

"No he doesn't." Merle eyes her over. "Just ask what you're gonna ask." Andrea huffs and turns to him.

"She looks like a total loser. How'd you end up with her?" Merle frowns and starts for the cabin with her.

"It was a bad year. Got drunk, nine months later Colt comes." Merle tells her as they head inside the cabin.

"You sure he's yours?" Merle stops and looks at her. "I don't mean anything bad about it. It's just that I know a lot woman who lie to men just to keep them around."

"I make them get dna tests when they're born just incase." Merle tells her. "He's mine." Merle motions for her to follow him as they head up the stairs. "Downstairs are the kitchen, living room, dining room, a bathroom, a sunroom, and the den. The second floor has six bedrooms down here with three bathrooms, the third floor has seven bedrooms with four bathrooms."

"Wow, that's a lot of bedrooms."

"Our grandfather wanted a big family except after he built this place his wife died from cancer leaving him with only one son."

"That's sad." Merle shrugs before turning to her.

"This floor has mine, Daryl's, my grandfather's, and Liz bedrooms. The floor above has Dean's, Eli's, and Colt's bedrooms. Which floor did you want? There's two rooms left down here and four upstairs." Andrea frown as she thought about it. Amy would be sleeping in Eli's room and Sophia would more than likely be with the kids upstairs. The third floor seems to be the kid's floor. "This floor's fine." Merle nods before pointing to a door at the far end of the left hallway. "That's Daryl's room." He tells her. "That's a bathroom." He points to the room on the right-hand side of Daryl's room. "Next to that is our grandfather's room, no one's allowed to use that room. We don't like people in it." Andrea nods in understanding. "Across from that room is a spare room. Besides my grandfather's room is another bathroom." That bathroom was the door right in front of them, while the spare room was to her left. "On the other side is Liz's room." He points to the room on the other side of the bathroom. "Across from that is the second spare room."

"Which means that room is yours?" Merle raises an eyebrow at her as she smiles, pointing to the door at the far end of the right side of the hallway.

"Why you want to sleep in there?" Andrea shrugs as she leans against the wall.

"Are you offering?" Merle stares at her for a moment before stepping forward.

"Depends on what you're willing to do." Andrea stares up at him as he stands right in front of her.

"Kiss me." Merle doesn't need to be told twice. He pulls her to him and kisses her. Her bags drop from her hands as she wraps her arms around his neck. He picks her up, her legs wrapping around his waist.

"What happened to never going to happen?" Merle whispers as he pulls back.

"That was before I realized you weren't just something sexist racist asshole."

"Who says I'm not?" Her eyes lift to look up at him.

"Your kids says it all. You're good with them. You care about them." Merle swallows as he looks at her. She was the first woman to ever bring up his kids. Most didn't care about shit like that.

"We're a package deal." He tells her, causing her to nod.

"I know, which is how I know you're not an asshole. You care about your sons. It makes you a decent enough person." Merle licks his lips before nodding.

"So you want to stay in my room?" Andrea smiles.

"Yeah, I think I do."


	18. Chapter 18

**Warning for up ahead. It got a lot darker than I originally thought it'd get, so sorry about that. It contains molestation and abuse in this chapter. If you don't want to read it then skip the italic parts. Hope you enjoy more insight on what Dean has been through and how him and Merle have changed because of it.**

Once everyone got settled in their rooms they begin to get some order. "So you have animals?" Andrea asks. The group was sitting in the living room talking about what had to be done around here.

"Yeah. Some cows, pigs, and chickens. They're pretty easy. We have hay for the cows and we should have some grain for all the animals. If not then the cows can survive on the grass and hay and the chickens can survive off the corn we have growing. The pigs eat anything, so I'm not worried about them."

"And what do you have growing here?"

"We have a field of corn and a field filled with vegetables."

"So not only do you have the safety behind the steel fence that surrounds this place, but you also have meat and vegetables?"

"Yeah, we also have milk and cheese from the milk cows."

"You guys are way better off than most." Carol speaks up. Andrea nods in agreement.

"It's only right we help out."

"Colt and I can feed the animals." Sophia volunteers, causing Colt to nod.

"Yeah, Soph and I can." Eli and Dean raise eyebrows at them.

"Since when is it Soph and Colt?" Dean asks.

"Yeah." Colt looks at his cousin and brother confused.

"What?" Colt questions.

"You best keep your hands to yourself, Colt or we're cutting them off." Dean warns, causing Merle and the others to fight the urge to laugh.

"Aren't you supposed to be my brother?"

"Yeah, but there's no way in hell we're letting you steal Soph's innocence." Colt's face turns bright red as the adults start laughing.

"Dad!" Colt sputters, looking at his father for help, but Merle isn't the person to ask for help.

"Just remember your rubbers." Colt's face turns even redder as the adults laugh harder.

"Fuck that. No way in hell Colt's even looking at Sophia." Dean barks, picking Sophia up and holding her in his arms as if to shield her from his brother. "You're not allowed to be alone together."

"Fine, then you both can help Colt and I feed the animals." Sophia says with a roll of her eyes.

"Fine." Dean agrees.

"Andrea, Amy, and I can help with the garden." Carol offers.

"Hey, Daryl, can you teach me how to ride the horses. Colt said you would." Sophia says.

"You have horses here too?" Andrea asks in surprise, causing Merle to roll his eyes.

"Colton likes horses." He tells her.

"Well, you did name me Colt."

"Your name's Colton." He tells Colt.

"Only because you didn't get your way." Merle rolls his eyes.

"That's beside the point." Andrea laughs, causing Colt to grin.

"I think Andrea begs to differ," Colt tells his father.

"It's getting late." Daryl says. "We should have someone stay on watch just in case." Merle nods in agreement.

"I'll stay on tonight."

"Yeah, I'll join you." Dean says as puts Sophia down. "We should have two just in case one miss something." Merle nods.

"Okay."

"Can I join?" Colt asks, causing them to look at him.

"Ask your mom." Colt frowns, but Merle points to the stairs, causing Colt to groan.

"Fine." He stomps up the stairs.

"That boy's so damn dramatic." Merle says as he heads out. Dean follows after him.

"So, you and Andrea?" Merle raises an eyebrow.

"What about Andrea and I?" Dean shakes his head with a grin on his face.

"You should be careful to make sure no one's around before you go making out like a couple of teenagers by the stairs." Merle glares at his son.

"You should be minding your own damn business." Dean laughs and shoots him a smile. Merle falls silent before glancing over at Dean. "What you have to say about it?" Dean glances over and shrugs.

"She's nice enough. Hot as fuck." Dean smiles. "I say go and have fun and fuck her." Merle laughs and shakes his head.

"Goddamn, you sure are my son." Dean smiles and nods.

"Damn right I am." Merle climbs up the tree house that stands near the fence. It had been for Colt when he was a kid, but then it became their hunting spot and not their lookout spot. "You've been thinking about it too, haven't you?" Dean whispers.

"What do you mean?"

"About that night." That sickening feeling was back again.

"Yeah."

"Me too." Merle glances over at Dean with pain in his eyes.

"You know if I had known, Dean..."

"I know, dad." Dean smiles. "I don't blame you. Yeah, things could have better, but it wasn't your fault. She was fucked up. You didn't know how bad she was. When you did find out you got me away from her."

"I..." Merle shakes his head and closes his eyes. "You can't lie to me, Dean. I remember that day all too well."

 _Merle hops out of his truck as he stares up at the small house before him. He got out of work early and thought he'd come pick up Dean from his mother's and take him out for ice cream. It was Dean's birthday and Merle wanted to do something special. It wasn't every day that he turned seven._

 _Merle smiles as he heads up to the house, letting himself in. He glances around the house for_ Dean, _but frowns when he doesn't seem him. "Mommy, please stop." Merle's blood runs cold as he hears the quiet whimper coming from upstairs. Merle makes his way upstairs and he can hear Dean's voice getting louder. "Mommy, stop, please." He's crying. Merle feels sick._

 _"Oh, baby, shh, it's okay. Mommy just wants to make you feel good." Merle's eyes widen and he felt like he was going to puke. Merle walks down the hallway and stops in his tracks at what he saw._

 _"Mommy." Merle could barely breathe as he saw his son, naked and exposed as he lays on the bed, his hands_ and _feet tied to the bed, making him unable to move. His mother sat between his little legs, touching him no way a mother should. One hand was on him, the other was in her. Merle felt sick to his stomach. Dean's fearful eyes lands on Merle and Merle almost collapsed right there. His son had tears running down his cheeks and the look in his eyes told Merle everything._

 _"What the fuck are you doing?!" Merle shouts, causing the woman to jump in shock._

 _"Merle, I-"_

 _"Get the fuck away from my son!" She stood them, not knowing what to say or do as Merle moves to his son._

 _"Merle, we were just playing a game-"_

 _"A game? A fucken game?!" Merle turns to her with such anger and horror. "You a sick fucken bitch." Merle unties his son, wrapping him up in a blanket and pulling him up into his arms. "If you think I'm going to let you anywhere near my boy."_

 _"He's my son too, Merle."_

 _"You should have thought of that before you put your goddamn hands on him."_

 _"Daddy, why did you let her do that to me?" Merle felt tears in his eyes as he heard his son's quiet voice._

 _"We're_ leaving. _" Merle says as he heads for the door._

 _"No, Merle, don't. Don't take my baby-"_

 _"You stay far the fuck away from my son. The_ couts _going to hear about this shit." Merle starts down the stairs, holding his son tightly in his arms._

 _"Daddy, please make her stop." Merle looks at his and holds him tighter._

 _"Don't worry, baby, she'll never touch you again. I promise, baby, I promise." Tears rolled down Merle's face as he puts Dean in his truck. "We're going home, okay, we're going to get you cleaned up and then we're going to go for ice cream. How does that sound, buddy?" Dean nods as he sniffles. "I love you, okay? It's going to be okay." He kisses Dean's head, trying to keep it together._

 _"Please daddy, don't let her hurt me." Merle can only_ nods _as he holds Dean. Merle gets in the truck and starts down the road. He pulls up to Daryl's house and wraps Dean up. "I thought we were going home?" Dean whispers._

 _"We're going to Uncle Daryl's. You want to see baby Eli?" Dean smiles and nods. "Okay, come on, we'll get you cleaned up and you can play with baby Eli while I talk to your uncle." Dean nods as Merle picks him up._

 _Merle knocks on Daryl's door as he holds Dean tightly in his arms. Daryl opens the door and raises an eyebrow at his distraught brother. "What's going on?"_

 _"I'll explain later. You mind if I get Dean cleaned up?" Daryl nods._

 _"Yeah, come on in." Merle thanks him as he heads down the hallway to the bathroom. He slips into the bathroom and shut the door before putting Dean down to fill the tub._

 _"We're going to get you cleaned up and dressed, okay?" Dean nods as he keeps the blanket tightly around himself. "Okay, buddy, it's warm enough, come here." Dean looks at Merle with_ hesistation _. "Hey, buddy," Merle moves and crouches in front of me. "Don't go comparing us, okay. I would never hurt you."_

 _"You left me with her." Tears slid down Merle's cheeks._

 _"I know and I'm so sorry. I didn't know she was doing that to you. Why didn't you tell me?"_

 _"I did." Merle felt like he'd just been slapped._

 _"What?"_

 _"I told you, but you were high and..." Merle felt like he was going to puke._

 _"Buddy, let's get you cleaned up, okay?" Merle's voice was shaking and he didn't know how much more he was going to be able to take._

 _"Okay."_

 _"You know I would never hurt you, right?" Dean looks at Merle and nods._

 _"I know." Merle nods and helps Dean into the bath before helping him wash up._

 _Once_ Merle _had Dean washed, dried, and changed he brought him to Eli's nursery to play with the baby. "I'm going to go talk to your uncle, okay?" Dean nods as he sits by Eli, pointing out different blocks for him. Merle swallows and walks out._

 _"You going to tell me what happened?" Daryl asks, but Merle ignores him as he heads back to the bathroom. "Merle?" Daryl follows and finds him vomiting in the toilet. "Shit, you okay?" Daryl sees Merle shaking as he pukes. He looks like a complete mess. "What the hell did you take?" Merle leans against the bathroom wall, his eyes squeezed shut._

 _"Fuck." Merle curses as he looks up at Daryl. "I'm such a fucken terrible father."_

 _"What the hell you talking about, Merle? You're great with Dean." Merle shakes his head, his walls coming down as tears filled his eyes._

 _"I'm terrible, Daryl. I..." Merle closes his eyes. "I didn't even know what that woman was doing to him."_

 _"What did the bitch do? Did she hurt him?" Merle shakes his head._

 _"Worst."_

"Dad?" Merle shakes the memories out as he looks at Dean. "Hey, stop thinking about it." Dean tells him. "I was seven, okay, it was a long time ago."

"Doesn't make any less terrible." Dean swallows as he looks at his dad.

"Dad, I'm okay. Alright? I did all the therapy, the bitch's gone, I'm okay. It wasn't your fault, dad. You didn't know."

"No, because I was too busy getting fucken high."

"Look, dad, I forgave you, okay? You made up for it with Colt. You are a good father." Merle looks at Dean and sighs.

"But I never got to make up to you?"

"Are you kidding? All I ever wanted was a brother. I had Eli, but he was Daryl's. Colt is everything I always wanted. I love the stupid kid. You made up for what happened, dad. Okay? I forgive you. It's in the past now. She can't hurt me anymore. I'm safe. With you. You're my dad and you're an amazing father." Merle swallows, unable to speak. "I love you, daddy." Dean wraps his arms around his father and hugs him. Merle closes his eyes, holding Dean close to him and burying his face in Dean's hair.

"I love you too, buddy."


	19. Author Note

I know I haven't updated in awhile. With summer coming my work has been crazy. I plan on updating my stories but in the regards of this one I've been looking it over and I find there's a lot I'm not completely happy with. There are things I want to change, so I will be doing a rewrite of this to improve it. I plan to have it up within the hour, two hours at the most. It'll still have the same idea, but I'm going to change a few things. It'll have the same name, but I don't want to actually delete the story, so it'll be called 'Unlucky: A Change in the Wind'.

-Haylee, TrueRoyalChaos


End file.
